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Synopsis

A sharia practice allows muslim men to divorce their wives by simply saying the word 'divorce' three times in one go. Commonly called triple-talaq or triple-divorce, this instant, oral divorce can only be given by men. In India, muslim women have been fighting an arduous battle to get this practice legally abolished. This is their story.

Divorce. Lubna’s husband said this one word, three times and threw her out the house along with their infant son. As per the prevailing sharia practice of triple or oral Divorce, this divorce was legal and final, endorsed not only by faith leaders but also accepted by India’s civil courts. In order to return to her husband, Lubna was asked to undergo halala. Halala is a tradition that requires the divorced woman to marry another man, let him ‘consummate the marriage’ and then he has to divorce her before she can remarry her original husband. 3 Seconds Divorce tells Lubna’s story as she reels under the effects of triple-divorce and finds her way into Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, an Indian muslim women’s group advocating for a legal ban on this type of divorce. However, Muslim faith leaders in power are adamant and accuse the muslim women of pandering to the agenda of the Hindu right wing. Under resourced and outnumbered, the women continue the struggle against all odds and celebrate small victories. Shot over three years, the documentary provides an intimate account of Lubna’s struggles and also gives us behind- the -scenes access to the movement that led to a ban on instant, oral, divorce in India.

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Trailer

Team

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Shazia Javed

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR

Shazia Javed is an award-winning media producer & director, community artist, and founder at LifeSketch Media Inc. She has directed with the National Film Board of Canada and her work has screened internationally at prestigious film festivals such as Hot Docs, DOXA, Durban International Film Festival, Mumbai International Film Festival and Reelworld. Shazia’s films highlight the under-represented perspectives from her own communities. Her past work includes Namrata, Can you hear me?, and #WeSayKnow. Shazia likes to mentor young talent and has taught various workshops on filmmaking. She has a MFA in Film from York University.

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Babita Ashiwal

CO - PRODUCER / DOP

Babita Ashiwal is film-maker based in Mumbai, India. Her most recent film on the life on a young domestic worker called “Dolly ka b’day” is currently screening at film-festivals. She has made documentary films on issues that range between the topics of healthcare for children, women in sports, musical culture of Benaras, life in Vrindavan, and sex education for youth. She has also made many corporate films and audio-visuals for companies like Vardhman, Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra, IL&FS, Astarc Group, Ma Foi Enterprises, Vakrangee Pvt Ltd., and Delhi School of communication to name few. She holds a M.A. degree from prestigious Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, New-Delhi.

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Sara Cabrera-Aragon

EDITOR

Sara Cabrera-Aragon is a documentary video editor born and raised in Toronto. Having grown up in an environment filled with so much diversity she has always been drawn to the stories people have to share. A graduate from the Film and Media program at Queen’s University, Sara had the chance to develop her artistic skills under the guidance of previous art directors and filmmakers. Since graduating five years ago, Sara has been working in documentary editing, from working on TV documentary 'The Trouble with Dying' for Vision TV in 2013 to most recently working on the second season of the television series Future Legends, for Win HDTV. She has has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that give a platform to those whose stories are not always shared. With a love for storytelling and images she hopes to lend new perspectives to those out there willing to watch and listen.

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