Driving with Selvi | Media | The story of South India's first female taxi driver.

Sheyenne Siah Mar 9, 2018

As part of a collaboration between the High Commission of Canada and Progresif, a film screening was held at Progresif Cellulars’s Headquarters on March 3. As part of an audience watching the film for the first time, one is struck by Selvi’s unapologetic persistence in crafting her own path via her own means, as well as her refusal to let her terrible past deter her from giving out second chances. Paloschi, who was also in attendance during the screening, spoke highly of Selvi’s effortless charm regardless of her situation, as well as her eagerness to prove herself, which the director aimed to capture during the ten years of shooting.

David Peck Jan 17, 2017

Elisa and Face2Face host David Peck talk about child marriage, being present, staying positive and why Selvi’s story is an inspiration to us all.

Time Out Lodon - Time Out Film Dec 1, 2016

The tiniest film on our list, this modest but unforgettable documentary tells the simple tale of an unflappable Indian girl ... There’s something in Selvi’s journey from the darkest trauma to glorious self-actualisation that feels powerfully relevant to our times.

The Globe and Mail - Barry Hertz Oct 21, 2016

That twist would be enough to delight even the most jaded documentary aficionado, but Paloschi’s tight direction and crisp pace further elevate the film, turning what most would assume to be a sob story into a triumphant chronicle that never slips into sentimentality.

The Toronto Star - Jason Anderson Oct 21, 2016

Driving With Selvi: A terrific Canadian doc that tells the wrenching but inspirational story of South India’s first female taxi driver, Driving With Selvi has travelled far and wide since it served as a very moving opening-night selection for the Reel Asian festival last year.

NOW MAGAZINE - Norman Wilner Oct 19, 2016

It’s taken almost a year for Driving With Selvi to get a theatrical release in Toronto after opening the 2015 Reel Asian film festival. But now, Elisa Paloschi’s inspirational documentary is back, and you should see it.

Selvi is a young Indian woman who fled an abusive marriage to reinvent herself as the first female taxi driver in the city of Karnataka – a hard-won achievement that opened doors to further opportunities.

One World - Robin de Bont Oct 17, 2016

Gisteren tijdens Wereldmeisjesdag werd door de Verenigde Naties in Brussel de inspirerende documentaire Driving with Selvi vertoond, over een jonge vrouw die de Indiase patriarchale tradities trotseert. Oneworld-reporter Robin ontmoette Selvi en de Canadese filmmaakster Elisa Paloschi en zag ook de documentaire.

Umberto Bacchi Oct 10, 2016

Over a decade later, her escape and journey to becoming one of India's first female taxi drivers are the subject of a documentary film, "Driving With Selvi", that aims to inspire women to break out of traditional roles, its director said.

The Guardian - Leslie Ferpin Oct 6, 2016

One can’t help wondering how the presence of film-makers in Selvi’s life since her teens has shaped her, but clearly she’s repaid Paloschi for the spotlight by growing into a deeply likable, engaging screen presence. One can help wondering what darker details might have been left out of the final edit, but it’s an effective bit of awareness-raising.

Time Out London - Tom Huddleston Oct 3, 2016

Through sensitive but probing interviews and footage of Selvi’s day-to-day life, Canadian director Elisa Paloschi makes us feel privileged to share the experiences of this courageous, principled and utterly charismatic young woman.

Radio LIVE May 15, 2016

"You hear a lot of people say, 'this is a remarkable story.' Well, this IS a remarkable story." - intro to this radio interview with director Elisa Paloschi.

Peter Calder May 14, 2016

"A child bride... is the unlikely star of an inspiring film in this month's Doc Edge Film Festival....You only need to see Selvi to understand the fascination. Belying an early life of appalling disadvantage and cruelty, her smile is dazzling enough to light up a small town; self-effacing and unassuming, she's a tiny tomboy equally at home slinging a Tata down rutted streets or driving a truck along dusty highways."

Steve Murray Apr 1, 2016

"I recommend even more strongly Driving with Selvi, Elisa Paloschi’s 10-years-in-the-making tale of a South Indian woman who escaped her awful (and common) fate as a child bride in an arranged marriage, finding fulfillment as one of her country’s few female taxi drivers.

It’s the sort of movie that makes you cringe once you understand the suffering its real-life heroine endured, and feel absolutely elevated by her self-fulfillment."

Taxi Tomorrow Mar 27, 2016

The TaxiTomorrow suggests Driving with Selvi will resonate with drivers all over the world.

Heather Hamacek Mar 10, 2016

"After watching hundreds of films... Ms. Dreyer championed Driving with Selvi, a documentary about South India’s first female cab driver....Ms. Dreyer said she had already had an interest in the Southern Indian region. “I felt very connected with the character [Selvi], she’s inspiring,” she said. “It’s stories like this that deserve to be told.”

Katie Hinshaw Mar 4, 2016

From the all female programming team “... Atlanta Film Festival is presenting, among others, Driving with Selvi (Elisa Paloschi) a documentary about the first woman taxi driver in South India. ...it’s about continuing to push for diverse stories on both sides of the camera.”

Stadtkinowien.at Feb 26, 2016

Driving with Selvi featured in this roundup of films coming to the Women's Film Fest in Vienna, Austria.

Ottawa Indie Fest Feb 25, 2016

Highlighting Driving with Selvi in advance of its screenings at the Kingston and Wakefield International film festivals.

Peter Hendra Feb 24, 2016

"There was a full story, and it was a story of healing," Paloschi explained. "It's when I realized that that was what the story was. The story is Selvi's transformation. It's a very simple story."

Sarah Davison-Tracy Feb 24, 2016

"Several weeks ago, I was delighted and honored to participate on a panel following the screening of the remarkable film, Driving with Selvi, organized by The United Nations Association of Denver....Many beautiful and powerful RIPPLES have emerged to share. May they inspire and ignite you this day..."

Peter Robb Feb 24, 2016

"Ten years later, she has a film that is gathering praise and picking up invitations to festivals all around the world including to the Wakefield International Film Festival where Driving with Selvi will be screened on Feb. 28."

Michael D. Reid Feb 14, 2016

"Paloschi shadowed her endearing can-do subject for a decade, which gives this inspirational film considerable scope. While Selvi’s past was so ugly she once contemplated suicide, with her self-liberation taking a heartbreaking toll on her own family relations, this is ultimately a story of hope. This young mother and human-rights activist with a winning smile is a wonderful role model, living proof it’s never too late to overcome adversity and achieve happiness on your own terms."

Lucy Scholey Feb 3, 2016

Driving with Selvi highlighted in lineup of Wakefiled festival.

Harvey Kirkpatrick Jan 26, 2016

Q&A with Elisa Paloschi

Ottawa Citizen Jan 13, 2016

Highlights Driving with Selvi at the upcoming Wakefield International Film Festival.

Scott Macaulay Dec 9, 2015

Driving with Selvi is amongst the first 6 films announced by Atlanta Film Festival.

Anke Teunissen and Martijn Payens Nov 21, 2015

"In 2004, director Elisa Paloschi went to India as a tourist. In this interview, she explains how she came to make this energetic, inspirational portrait of a former Indian child bride."

Door Rick Schuttinga Nov 19, 2015

"Driving with Selvi gaat over de eerste vrouwelijke taxichauffeur van India. Best een bijzonder fenomeen in een land waar mannen regeren en vrouwen behoren te gehoorzamen. Selvi is dan ook geen doorsnee vrouw, ze maakt haar dromen waar en ze zal het verleden niet laten regeren over haar toekomst."

Daniele Alcinii Nov 19, 2015

Driving with Selvi wins documentary award at Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

IDFA TV Nov 17, 2015

Click the video box at the bottom of the screen to see interview between Elisa Paloschi and IDFA TV.

IDFA Programming Nov 6, 2015

"This is a tragic and poignant yet also energetic and inspirational portrait of an extremely tough Indian woman."

Sean Kelly Nov 6, 2015

"Without a doubt Driving with Selvi is a very inspirational story about this young woman rebuilding her life."

Manori Ravindran Nov 5, 2015

"Elisa Paloschi’s empowering documentary – 11 years in the making – about a former child bride in a male-dominated profession hopes to be a vehicle for change.

Sarah Khan Nov 5, 2015

Driving With Selvi isn’t like most documentaries that just throw information at you in a too-organized way. The film unravels like a good narrative, allowing the story to go where it will while still managing to keep the audience entertained and engrossed. It’s not only that Selvi is such an amazing woman (I fully wanted to become best friends with her while watching this movie) who is perpetually looking for what she can do next in order to survive and be happy, but also because Paloschi doesn’t force the story out.

Leah Collins Nov 5, 2015

But Driving With Selvi, as a film, isn't about investigating the issues. Instead, it's a personal story — a gentle portrait of Selvi's life over the last 10 years, one that breathes along with her in its pacing, as the doc's Toronto-based director Elisa Paloschi — who's also the cinematographer — beautifully captures the vibrancy, and the poverty, of her subject's surroundings.

Vrij Nederland Nov 5, 2015

"Driving with Selvi gaat over Selvi, die als kindbruid op haar veertiende aan een nare man wordt verkocht om door hem en anderen te worden misbruikt. Maar Selvi slaagt erin om te ontsnappen en zelfs om een succesvol bestaan als taxi-chauffeur op te bouwen – geen gangbare beroepskeuze voor een vrouw in India. Selvi blijft overeind, we volgen hoe ze zelfs ondanks haar traumatische verleden nog verliefd kan worden en een eigen gezin weet op te bouwen."

Maneka Chotirmall Nov 5, 2015

Recap and complete video interview from Asia Society screening of Driving with Selvi, followed by a conversation between Elisa Paloschi, Director, Producer, Cinematographer and Smarinita Shetty, Director, Girls Alliance, Dasra.

Victor Stiff Nov 5, 2015

In a genre known for utilizing heavy-handed storytelling to get agendas across, Driving with Selvi works because of its subtlety. Paloschi never uses the film as a platform to preach, instead she chooses to observe Selvi’s slow march toward happiness and let the circumstances surrounding her do the talking.

Manori Ravindran Nov 5, 2015

“I wasn’t expecting to make a feature film at all, but over the next couple years I went back over and over again, and each time there was something interesting happening in Selvi’s life,” Paloschi, who is also a photographer, tells realscreen. “It took a few years of filming her before I even knew that there was a film.”

The Toronto-based director traveled frequently to India after her initial trip in 2004, often returning to see Selvi. Once she committed to the idea of making a doc, she figured she would focus on the taxi company Selvi hoped to form with other women, but when those plans fell through, the film became about Selvi’s personal journey into marriage and motherhood, her professional achievements – learning to drive a passenger bus and challenging cultural norms around driving, to name a few – and later coming to terms with the tragic events of her past.

Norm Wilner Nov 4, 2015

"Director/producer Paloschi – whose Jane Bunnett study, Embracing Voices, established her as a sensitive and clear-eyed filmmaker – first met Selvi in 2004, and the decade-long friendship between the two is apparent in Selvi’s comfort in front of the camera and her frankness in discussing the ugly past she’s left behind."

Andrew Parker Nov 4, 2015

"touches on some important subjects with a great deal of uplift and poignancy"

Door Steven Stoffers Nov 3, 2015

"She's the first female taxi driver in India, which in so many ways is an exceptional and courageous performance that you can not but give a standing ovation at the end of the film."

Mumbai Mirror Nov 2, 2015

"Driving with Selvi is an acclaimed Canadian documentary by Elisa Paloschi on South India's first female taxi driver, Selvi..."

Alice Prendergast Oct 31, 2015

Blog T.O. highlights the film as one to watch: "At the fest you'll be able to catch Driving With Selvi, Siti, and many more.'

Alice Prendergast Oct 31, 2015

"At the fest you'll be able to catch Driving With Selvi, Siti, and many more."

The Watchlist Oct 30, 2015

"Over the years her life both on and off the road are drastically changed in this uplifting documentary about human spirit and perseverance."

The Watchlist Oct 30, 2015

Video interview with Elisa Paloschi. Accompanying article calls Driving with Selvi an "uplifting documentary about human spirit and perseverance."

Daneil Garber Oct 27, 2015

In advance of Toronto’s ReelAsian film festival. the reporter speaks with Elisa in studio about visiting India as a tourist, how she first met Selvi, 10 years of shooting the film, making a film in a developing nation, why Indian women in smaller cities rarely drive, Selvi’s motivation, human trafficking, child brides, poverty, feminism, women as second-class citizens, dowries, divorce, motivation, how to share her story …and more!.

Ivan Radford Oct 6, 2015

'That gentle, unobtrusive style allows Selvi to take centre stage, making for a slight (the runtime is just 70 minutes) yet inspiring piece of cinema: at the end of it all, she remains admirably in forward gear, planning to move from taxis to trucks. After sitting in her back-seat for an hour, you believe she can do it."

Ben Eshme Pod Cast Oct 5, 2015

Listen at 20 mins or so.

Micheal Scott Oct 4, 2015

"focusing... on the will and indomitable spirit of this young lady within a culture that traditionally subjugates women and holds them back"

Crispy Sharp Films Oct 3, 2015

"The misogynist patriarchy in India (and, shamefully, much of the world) is the backdrop to Driving with Selvi but it is the voice of women that are in the foreground.It is hard not to feel intense anger and disgust at parts of her story, but the important part is that she is telling it – and with an intelligence and bravery that inspires a degree of hope."

Sian Brett Oct 2, 2015

"The film is like a love letter to humans who manage wonderful things.

Not just brilliant because of Selvi herself, the film’s tone is perfect; it is important without preaching, and heart-breaking without overplaying the tragedy....

A story that spreads a message whilst also drawing you into a warm personality, Driving With Selvi will offer hope and give you drive to be more like Selvi herself."

Screen Daily Sep 28, 2015

"Canadian filmmaker Elisa Paloschi is premiering her film, Driving With Selvi, at Raindance tonight (Sept 28) in London....Here is Elisa’s story of filming with Selvi…"

Addy Dugdale Sep 28, 2015

"a powerful documentary"

Chelsea Rozansky Sep 17, 2014

"In front of Paloschi’s lense, Selvi undergoes the metamorphosis from a victim of poverty and child abuse to empowerment and success. She was a victim of her circumstances, but Selvi managed to overcome and carved a unique path for herself rather than letting her fate be determined by the reality she was exposed to. “It’s really about her own agency,” Paloschi told me. Selvi is at the steering wheel of personal growth and change for women in India. Driving with Selvi gives the world a back seat view to her journey."