Women are the Answer

90 minute documentary; completed Sept 2015

Synopsis

Population growth has been left out of the climate debate because it is considered controversial, yet it is one of the most important factors. The global population has passed the 7 billion mark and India will soon overtake China as the most populous nation in the world, but one state in southern India has found the solution: Kerala educates its women. The unique history of Kerala and ‘the Kerala Model’ is outlined, using it as an example of achieving population control in developing countries without coercion.

Trailer

Links are highlighted within the documentary between issues such as women’s education, women’s
rights and status in society, women’s health, population growth, global poverty and global food shortage,
economic growth and environmental stability.

INTERVIEWEES include Prof. Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences, William Ryerson of the Population Institute, Brinda Karat, a politician and Vice-President of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, as well as many young women from Kerala talking about their lives.

Awards
  • Winner: Documentary Award at 2019 Big Syn International Film Festival (UK) as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Commitment;
  • Best Documentary Film Award at 2019 Indo-Global International Film Festival (India);
  • Best Film on Women at 2019 L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival (India);
  • Winner: Documentary Feature Film at 2018 International Open Film Festival (USA/Bangladesh);
  • Diversity Award at 2018 PhotoDiversity Film Festival, New York;
  • Gold World Medal: Social Issues at 2016 New York Festivals Film & TV Awards;
  • Winner: Documentary Feature at 2016 Blowup Film Fest/ Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival;
  • Winner: Documentary Feature at 2016 Indie Gathering (USA);
  • Gold Award winner: Social Issues at 2015 World Documentary Awards (Indonesia);
  • Gold Award winner: International Documentary at 2016 World Film Awards (Indonesia);
  • Gold Award winner: Documentary Feature at 2016 International Movie Awards (Indonesia);
  • Gold Award winner: Documentary Feature at 2015 International Independent Film Awards (USA);
  • Golden Palm Award winner: Documentary Feature at 2016 Mexico International Film Festival;
  • Golden World Award at 2016 World Film Awards (Indonesia);
  • Gold Award winner at 2016 World Human Rights Awards (Indonesia);
  • Gold Award winner at 2016 World Humanitarian Awards (Indonesia);
  • Best Women Empowerment Project Award at 2024 Roshani International Film Festival, India
  • Best Social Film Special Mention Award at 2024 Roshani International Film Festival, India
  • Award of Distinction at 2015 Humanitarian Awards for IndieFEST Film Awards (USA);
  • Award of Distinction at 2015 Humanitarian Awards for Global Film Awards (USA);
  • Award of Outstanding Excellence at 2016 Docs Without Borders Film Festival (USA);
  • Award of Excellence: Documentary Feature at 2016 Impact DOCS Awards (USA);
  • Award of Excellence: Documentary Feature at 2015 Accolade Global Film Competition (USA);
  • Award of Excellence: Women Filmmakers at 2015 IndieFEST Film Awards (USA);
  • Award of Excellence at 2015 Depth of Field International Film Festival (USA);
  • Certificate of Excellence at 2016 Indian Cine Film Festival;
  • Critics Award for Documentary Film at 2016 NEZ International Film Festival (India);
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for Films on Environment at 2020 Tagore International Film Festival (India);
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for Films on Women at 2020 Tagore International Film Festival (India);
  • Education Award at 2016 Cinema Verde Environmental Film & Arts Festival (USA);
  • Silver Lei winner at 2016 Honolulu Film Awards (Hawaii);
  • Platinum Award winner at 2016 International Film Festival for Women, Social Issues & Zero Discrimination (Indonesia);
  • Bronze Award at 2016 Spotlight Film Awards (USA);
  • 3rd Place: Feature Documentary at 2016 ReelHeART International Film Festival (Canada)
  • Rising Star Award winner for 2016 Canada International Film Festival
  • Best Documentary Film (August edition)- 2016 Lake View International Film Festival (India)
  • International Award of Excellence at 2016 International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration & Equality;
  • International Award of Merit at 2016 International Film Festival for Environment, Health & Culture (Indonesia);
  • International Award of Recognition at 2016 Documentary & Short International Movie Awards (USA);
  • Award of Recognition at 2016 Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards;
  • Honourable Mention at SaMo Indie 2016 (USA);
  • Honourable Mention at 2017 Rahway International Film Festival (USA);
  • Semi-finalist at 2016 Polish International Film Festival;
  • Quarter finalist at 2016 NEXTV Indie Film competition (USA)
  • Finalist at 2019 Arctic Film Festival, North Pole
  • Best Documentary nomination at 2016 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
  • Best Director nomination at 2016 Maverick Movie Awards (USA)
  • Best Editing nomination at 2016 Movie Maverick Awards (USA)
  • Scientific & Educational Award nomination at 2017 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan
  • Best Director nomination at 2017 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan
  • Best Feature Documentary nomination at 2017 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan
  • Best Story nomination at 2017 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan

Other screenings
  • Official Selection at 2016 United Nations Association Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 China Women’s Film Festival
  • Official Selection at 2016 New York City Independent Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 World Music & Independent Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Las Cruces International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Riverside International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Colortape International Film Festival (Aus)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Garden City International Film Festival (India)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival (India)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Zanzibar International Film Festival (Africa)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Women Deliver Arts & Cinema Corner (Denmark)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Tiburon International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Ischia Film Festival (Italy)
  • Official Selection at The Workers Unite Film Festival 2016, New York
  • Official Selection at 2016 Norwich Radical Film Festival (Netherlands)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Docutah International Doc Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Louisville’s International Festival of Film (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin
  • Official Selection at 2016 Cinema Verde St Augustine Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Kingston International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Brasov International Film Festival & Market (Romania)
  • Official Selection at 2016 UNSPOKEN Human Rights Film Festival, New York
  • Official Selection at 2016-17 Sunrise Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Barcelona Planet Film Festival (Spain)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Great Lakes International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Orlando Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Awareness Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Global Peace Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Global Revolution Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 I Imagine Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Eugene International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Cutting Edge Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Erie International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2016 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival, New York
  • Official Selection at 2016 Greenmotions Filmfestival (Germany)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Women’s Director International Film Festival (India)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Respect Belfast Human Rights Film Festival (Ireland)
  • Official Selection at 2017 SA ECO Film Festival (South Africa)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Cape Town Recovery Film Festival (South Africa)
  • Official Selection at 2017 CPH (Copenhagen) Film Festival
  • Official Selection at 2017 Sustainability & Conscience Film Festival (Brazil)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Buffalo Niagara International Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2017 LifeArt Media Festival (Greece)
  • Official selection at 2017 Another Way Film Festival (Spain)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Dokubazaar, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
  • Official Selection at 2017 Worldwide Women’s Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2018 World of Women Film Fair Middle East
  • Official Selection at 2018 Hot Springs International Women’s Film Festival (USA)
  • Official Selection at 2018 Master Doc Film Festival
  • Official Selection at 2020 SIFF – Switzerland International Film Festival
  • Official Selection at 2024 Spotlight on Academics Film Festival, Canada
  • Official Selection at 2024 Roshani International Film Festival, India
  • Official Selection at 2025 Kashmir International Film & Cultural Festival, India
  • 2017 New Directions in Screen Studies conference (Australia)

Creative Team

  • Director/ Producer – FIONA COCHRANE
  • Cinematographer / Editor – ZBIGNIEW FRIEDRICH

Distribution