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Anulawathi, Thushari and Jega are united by their profession: they are autorickshaw drivers in Sri Lanka, making them one of a handful of women in a male-dominated industry. The three-wheeled tuktuk is one of the most popular means of transportation, but for the three women it is above all a means of survival.

All three were abandoned by their husbands and had to find a way to feed themselves and their children. They dared to go where society did not want them to go. Because it is the men who are accepted as the breadwinners of the family, the women are seen as unworthy competition among their colleagues and are perceived as rivals. And yet: the female drivers are particularly popular with other women.

Thushari lives in the capital Colombo. She is a single mother and earns money for herself and her two daughters. Anuwalathie works in Kandy, she spent a few years abroad and bought a tuktuk from her earnings. Jega is also a single parent. She lives with her son and niece in the tourist town of Hikkaduwa. All three women have gained a foothold in the tuktuk business with the aim of being independent and free.

A production commissioned by ZDF in cooperation with ARTE

A film by Sabiha Sumar

43 min | 2022