BBC Documentary row: Hillary Clinton's firm sponsoring film's premier in US

Washington, Mar 9: Despite India's objection, the controversial documentary, depicting the aftermath of the brutal Delhi gang rape on Dec 16 2012, is all set to be premiered in the US but if reports are to be believed then the group sponsoring the event is being funded by former First Lady of US, Hillary Clinton.

As per a report published in Washington Post, Vital Voices Global Partnership, a woman's leadership program co-founded by Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright in 1997, is sponsoring the event.

Vital Voices's vice president of human rights, Cindy Dyer, wrote on the group's website, "India's Daughter' documentary is much more than a documentary about violence against women; it is a powerful platform for cultural change on a global scale."

Wife of former US President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, has also been former US' Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

BBC is going to premier its controversial documentary, depicting the aftermath of the brutal Delhi gang rape on Dec 16 2012, in the US on Monday.

Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto will be attending the premier in a show of support for the film banned in India.

Meanwhile, parents of Nirbhaya have now said that the filmmaker did not show them the final version of the documentary and they had then refused to sign release papers.

The parents had earlier also objected to the documentary being aired as it not only makes the victim's name public but also includes offensive remarks made by one of the rape convicts.

The US premier of the documentary 'Storyville: India's daughter' will take place at the Baruch College of the City University of New York here and will be presented by NGO Vital Voices Global Partnership and children's development organisation - Plan International.

Streep and Pinto, who is Plan's 'Because I am a Girl' global ambassador, will be joined by the documentary's director Leslee Udwin at the screening.

India committed "international suicide" by banning a documentary on the Delhi gang rape from screening in the country, the British filmmaker behind the controversial film has said.

Udwin, the director of 'India's Daughter' also said it was ironical that her purpose of "giving a gift of gratitude" to India has been misinterpreted as "pointing fingers" at the country.

Udwin, a Plan ambassador, had said the December 2012 rape and the protests that followed was an "Arab spring for gender equality".

"What impelled me to leave my husband and 2 children for 2 years while I made the film in India was not so much the horror of the rape as the inspiring and extraordinary eruption on the streets. A cry of 'enough is enough'."

"Unprecedented numbers of ordinary men and women, day after day, faced a ferocious government crackdown that included tear gas, baton charges and water cannon. They were protesting for my rights and the rights of all women. That gives me optimism. I can't recall another country having done that in my lifetime," Udwin had added.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from PTI)