South Asian Women's Film festival

  
 

A festival of films focusing on the achievements, challenges, struggles, aspirations, and empowerment of South Asian women.  Join us for this rare glimpse into the lives of some amazing women!  For more information, please visit us at www.ektaonline.org/myriadvoices/  All films are subtitled in English. Each segment of films to be followed by a panel discussion.

Special Guests:
Filmmakers Anand Patwardhan (Narmada Diary) and Indu Krishnan (Knowing Her Place)

************************************************
Day 1-Saturday, November 17th
Timken Hall, California College of Arts and Crafts
1111 Eighth Street, San Francisco

REFLECTIONS (12-3:45 PM)
Skin Deep by Reena Mohan (1998. 83 min. India)
The search for femininity and how it permeates the self-image of contemporary Indian women.

Desperately Seeking Helen by Eisha Marjara (1998. 81 min. Canada)
To the Indian film mecca of Bollywood and back, Marjara seeks out her childhood film idol, Helen. Co-presented with 3rd I.

Hijab: An Expression of My Soul by Irum Shiekh and Javeria Aleem  (22 min. USA)
On the use of hijab by immigrant/American-born Muslim women.

IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION (4-6:25 PM)
Jari Mari: Of clothes and other stories by Surabhi Sharma  (2001. 74 min. India)
Explores the lives of the people of Jari Mari, and through them, looks at the way the nature of Mumbai's workforce has altered over the last few decades.

My Migrant Soul: A Story of Modern Day Slavery by Yasmine Kabir (2000. 28 min. Bangladesh)  "an indictment of the ruthless machinery of globalization, extracting the soul out of those who fall prey to it."

MOVERS AND SHAKERS (7-10:20 PM)
Narmada Diary by Anand Patwardhan and Simatini Dhuru   (1995. 50 min. India)
On the fifteen year old battle between the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement, an anti-dam movement in Western India) and the Indian State(s).
Discusion with filmmaker Anand Patwardhan to follow film.

Imagine Kalpana by Gargi Sen  (1997. 30 min. India)
On the freedom fighter Kalpana Dutta.

Ashgari Bai: Echoes of Silence by Priti Chandriani and Brahmananda Singh (1997. 45 min. India)  The 86-year-old singer, once nationally acclaimed and the last living exponent of the Dhrupada genre, lives today in penury.

Voices of Dissent: A Dance of Passion by NoorKhan Bawa  (1999. 22 min. Pakistan)
A female classical dancer, a male Kathak dancer, a film actress and a mullah reflect on dancing in Pakistan.

*********************************************
Day 2 - Sunday, November 18th
Valley Life Sciences Bldg, Rm 2050
University of California, Berkeley

ENVIRONMENT (12-1:30 PM)
Amrit Beeja (Eternal Seed) by Meera Dewan  (1996. 43min. Karnataka, India)
With insightful interviews and rare footage from India's agricultural industry, this keenly observed film depicts Indian women's struggle to use traditional farming practices instead of chemically-based agriculture.

Where Healing is a Tradition by Gargi Sen  (1997. 30 mins. India)
Presents traditional women healers who practise folk medicine in communities with no other access to medical services.

FAMILY (1:45-4 PM)
Paddanna  (40 min. South India)
Follows the multifaceted relationships of a grandmother, mother and daughter with each other and society including their men, the village and natural surroundings.

Voices of the Morning by Meena Nanji  (1992. 12 min. USA)
A meditation on women's roles as defined by orthodox Islamic laws.

Knowing Her Place by Indu Krishnan (1990. 40 min. USA)
A moving investigation of the cultural schizophrenia experienced by Vasu, an Indian woman who has spent most of her life in the U.S. Discussion with filmmaker Indu Krishnan to follow film.

VIOLENCE (4:15-7 PM)
Memories of Fear by Madushree Dutta   (1995. 57 min. India)
On the interplay between sexuality, construction of fear, and women's own contribution to the system which continues to denigrate them.

Dushomoy (A Mother's Lament) by Yasmine Kabir (1999. 26 min. Bangladesh)
A 16-year-old garment factory worker is picked up by the Dhaka police, allegedly gang raped and dies in custody.

From the Burning Embers by Sabeena Gadihoke  (1993. 37 min. India)
An indictment of sati, highlighting the story of Roop Kanwar.

FEATURE FILM (7:30-9:30)
Mirch Masala (Spices) by Ketan Mehta (1986. 98 min. India)
A British-Raj tax collector (Nasseeruddin Shah) lords over a village and demands the sexual favors of a woman Sonibai (Smita Patil) who refuses.

****************************************
Suggested Donation
Festival                $15
Day                     $10
Single Film           $5
****************************************