There must be hundreds of stories about the achievements of women, which might never get told, unless someone decides to take on the task. Thanks to documentary filmmakers Anjali Monteiro and KP Jayasankar, the wonderful story of Libia Lobo Sardesai will reach people outside of Goa through their lovely film, Libby De Liberdade.

At the age of 102, looking much younger, she is spry and lucid, with a clear voice, an infectious chuckle, and a memory that goes back to the decades of her remarkable life and digs out nuggets of anecdotes.

Libia “Libby” Lobo was born on May 25, 1924, in Goa, the only girl with five brothers, which, she says, resulted in her being “unladylike”. Her wish to educate herself and pursue a career must have been perceived as unusual at a time when most girls were expected to marry and settle down as soon as possible. Her family moved to Bombay when she was a child, and she grew up in the city in the throes of the Independence movement. In the documentary, she does not talk much about her family, but they must have been progressive and encouraging of her ambition.

She began her working life as a translator and a "censor", deciphering letters written by Italian prisoners of war during World War II. When she enrolled for a law degree at Siddharth College (in South Mumbai), she was the only Christian girl in her class. She had, as one of her professors, the great BR Ambedkar himself, who had established the college and interviewed her........

© Free Press Journal