Free Film: A Darker Side of Fair

A Darker Side of Fair
February 25, 2009 at 7pm
2500 University Drive NW
Murray Fraser Hall room 160
No cost

Shedding new light upon issues of global diversity, this documentary focuses on the extent to which a "fairness fetish" has permeated various levels of Indian society. Today in India fairness is a benchmark for beauty and marriages are decided on the basis of skin colour. Although historically women have been burdened with the need to conform to the societal perception of the "light-skinned beauty" increasingly even young Indian men feel this pressure.

While the origins of the fair-skinned ideal can be traced back to the ancient Indian epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, today Western influences and media pressure have resulted in a growing market for fairness products and skin lightening treatments. With a focus on the emotional and psychological impact, this film addresses the historical and contemporary factors that contribute to the pressures thrust upon Indian women and men by a society obsessed with fair skin.

For more information on the film, click here.

"The most beautiful Indian woman alive" - Aishwarya Rai, former miss world and current bollywood princess. Notice her very light skin colour...