Kerala Filmmaker Sumi Mathai: Reshaping Women's Inner Lives on Screen

Kerala-based filmmaker Sumi Mathai reshapes portrayals of women's inner lives. Her film Ullarivu (The Awakening) explores girlhood with rare intimacy. Exhibited in a number of international film festivals, Ullarivu capturing the subtle loss of innocence. She views the female gaze as an ethical choice, not a reversal. Her influences span globally recognized cinema, poetry, and literature.