Raquel Rosario Sanchez interviews filmmaker Vaishnavi Sundar about her latest documentary, Dysphoria.

Vaishnavi Sundar is a self-taught filmmaker, writer, and grassroots activist. She is from Chennai, in the south of India. She is the founder of Women Making Films, which is known for its effort to break the glass ceiling within the fraternity of domestic and world cinema. She has written, directed, and produced all her films, under her own production company, Lime Soda Films. 

Vaishnavi produced and directed India's first feature-length documentary, called But What Was She Wearing? And has recently released her latest project called Dysphoric. This is a four-part documentary series on the rise of Gender Identity Ideology, and its effects on women and girls - especially in developing countries.

“Synopsis: In this dystopian world where misogyny is rampant, and womanhood is commodified, being female comes at a cost. Corporates capitalise on women's bodies blurring the lines of biological sex, and profiting from the emperically untested pseudo-science of queer theory. This gaslighting is aided by the complicity of media, academia, legal and the political world. It is no surprise that young girls are fleeing womanhood like a house on fire. The past decade has seen a steep rise in the number of young girls seeking to transition by undergoing life threatening, irreversible procedures. ‘Dysphoric’ is a four-part documentary series on the rise of Gender Identity Ideology, its effects on women and girls - especially in developing countries. The film explores gender transition, the permanent medical side-effects of hormones and surgeries, the propaganda by 'woke' corporations that glorifies thousands of stereotypical gender presentations coalesced as fashion, a surge in pronoun policing; language hijacking that calls women ‘menstruators’, and the many hurdles women face while trying to question this modern-day misogyny. The film amplifies the voices of detransitioners, clinicians, psychiatrists, sociologists, feminists, academics and concerned citizens.”

The documentary was a grassroots effort made over the course of a year during the COVID global pandemic. If you are able, please donate to help fund Vaishnavi’s future projects. Your solidarity is greatly appreciated: http://www.paypal.me/vaishax

Learn more about Vaishnavi’s work on the Lime Soda Films Website. You can send media request and questions about the film at: limesodafilms@gmail.com

Connect through Twitter @Vaishax