Sydney 2012: Day 9 Trailer of the Day - THE WORLD BEFORE HER

Today's Sydney Film Fest trailer of the day is The World Before Her, a fascinating look at the new and old worlds of India.

About the film: The dramatic juxtaposition at the heart of this absorbing film is between two institutions: the Miss India pageant and Durga Vahini, the women's arm of the Hindu fundamentalist movement. The competitors in the nation's premiere beauty pageant are plucked, Botoxed and trained to strut the catwalk. They all want to win and change their lives by securing film contracts or modelling deals. In contrast, the thousands of young girls attending Durga Vahini's annual camp are taught how to be good Hindu women: "It's shameful to be judged by hips, breasts and legs." The camp leader, Prachi, wants a career in the movement against the objections of her parents, who feel that at 24 she should be married with children. The two themes graphically illustrate the dramatic differences between old and new India and the limited opportunities for women in either. The World Before Her won Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs.

Embedded below is the trailer.