The trailer of the heartwarming documentary Out of a Jam was recently released on YouTube, providing a unique story set in Bhuira, a small village in Himachal Pradesh. Directed by Shalini Harshwal, a renowned ad-filmmaker, screenwriter and award-winning independent documentarian, this documentary is set to be released on OTT platform Open Theatre on August 9.
Out of a Jam explores the lives of the all-female jam-making community in Bhuira, an economically disadvantaged village situated in Himachal Pradesh. The village, lacking basic infrastructure like roads, became the site of a remarkable transformation when Linnet Mushran established a small factory in the village in 2000. This initiative by Mushran was in response to the abundance of fruits available in the region and the challenging socioeconomic conditions faced by the local women. Today, the factory is on the cusp of becoming a Pvt Ltd company which is operated entirely by a group of village women, who had never heard of jams until a few years ago. Out of a Jam captures the inspiring lives of three vibrant and extraordinary Bhuira women who in their own unique ways contribute towards creating change in their community and shaping their future.
The trailer opens with Mushran sharing her favourite jam flavour, apricot. As the trailer progresses, viewers are introduced to the working women of the factory, who enthusiastically also share their favourite jam flavours such as strawberry, kiwi, black cherry, etc. The trailer also shows the women actively working at the jam factory.
Watch the trailer here:
In a conversation with Platform, Harshwal shared the inspiration behind the documentary, stating, “When I first heard of Bhuira jams, it was an accident of fate. I was just curious about how a group of rural women made such amazing jams and wanted to know their story. So I reached out and Linnet invited me to visit them."
Harshwal also shared with the magazine the details of three central women featured in the documentary. She explained that the first woman is Mushran, the pioneering founder of the jam factory who is working to empower the women of Bhuira and make them more self-reliant.
The second key figure is Ramkali, known as ‘Auntyji,’ who serves as the community’s leader, a fierce maternal figure and a full-time entertainer.
Despite a tragic past, Ramkali plays a crucial role in uniting the women and ensuring that those in need find employment at the factory. The third character is Sunita, a resilient single mother of three who while initially working part-time, gets promoted to a permanent position at the factory.
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