India Currents gave me a voice in days I was very lost. Having my articles selected for publishing was very validating – Shailaja Dixit, Executive Director, Narika, Fremont
a non-profit organization that promotes diverse South Asian images through film, is gearing up for their annual film festival to be held Nov. 10-12 in San Francisco. They screen independent films and popular Bollywood blockbusters, giving audiences a range of South Asian images and stories to choose from. This is the fourth annual San Francisco International Film Festival of 3rd i, and it hopes to draw 5,000 audience members.
Here is the schedule.
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Foundation and Empire (55 min.),
Directed by Graham Geigenmueller, is a documentary on the South Asian British music collective, Asian Dub Foundation (ADF). Formed in 1993, ADF is comprised of South Asian artists who use hip-hop, punk, and Indian classical music to make a musical statement with a deeper message. The work of ADF helps South Asian youth deal with racism, helping them resolve issues related to identity and artistic expression. Nov. 10, 7:15 p.m., Yerba Buena, $8.
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Local South Asian Short Films (75 min.)
Showcases six films directed by U.S.-based filmmakers on diverse themes. They explore the making of memories, difficulties of straddling two cultures, cricket reunions, the lives of golf caddies, the unexplored dreams of becoming a DJ, and one that even explains the variety of head nods that Indians use to communicate. Nov. 10, 9 p.m., Yerba Buena, $8.
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The Forsaken Land
(107 min., in Sinhalese with English subtitles), directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara, is the winner of Cannes’ prestigious Camera d’or prize in 2005. The film portrays the effects of the unending civil war in Sri Lanka through the lives of two guards at a desolate military camp. The characters in the film move through life in a state of alienation, unable to break out of the shackles of the civil war that surrounds them. Nov. 11, 12 p.m., Castro Cinema, $9.
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I for India
(70 min., in Hindi with English subtitles), directed by Sandhya Suri. After moving to England in 1965, Dr. Yash Pal Suri and his family in India stay in touch through super-8 home videos and audio recordings. His daughter Sandhya has pieced together movie and audio footage to create a compelling family portrait of the family then and now. I for India raises questions about identity, loneliness, and social integration, and was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Nov. 11, 2:30 p.m., Castro Cinema, $9.
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Omkara (150 min., English subtitles),
Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello set in the world of political and gangster warfare in Uttar Pradesh. It follows a warlord’s destruction caused by his sexual jealousy. The film captures Shakespeare’s central theme of jealousy in Othello through a lens that reflects the social and cultural milieu of India. Nov. 11, 5 p.m., Castro Cinema, $9.
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Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (193 min., in Hindi with English subtitles),
Directed by Kohan Johar, is the latest Bollywood blockbuster featuring superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee. The twists and turns of the plotline along with the lively musical score make it an entertaining film for the Bollywood fan and the novice alike. Nov. 11, 8:15 p.m., Castro Cinema, $9.
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Divided We Fall (110 min.),
Directed by Valerie Kaur and Sharat Raju, explores the complex issue of what it means to be American in the aftermath of 9/11. Kaur, along with her cousin, interviews many people in homes, and public places to share their stories of loss, and fear following 9/11. They try to get to the question of how Americans view one another. Kaur was inspired to work on this film, following the murder of an innocent Sikh in the aftermath of 9/11. Nov. 12, 11:30 a.m., Roxie Cinema, $8.
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Bombay Calling (95 min.),
Directed by Samir Malla and Ben Addelman, is a sympathetic look at the lives of call center employees in India. They try to perfect British, Australian, and American accents, and Western capitalist values, while living in a different environment. The film has a lively musical score, and features clips from popular Bollywood films and Crocodile Dundee 2. Nov. 12, 2:30 p.m., Roxie Cinema, $8.
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Between the Lines (80 min.),
Directed by Thomas Wartmann, explores the lives of India’s eunuchs, or hijras, who live as outcasts in Indian society. The daily lives and struggles of three eunuchs Laxmi, Rambha, and Asha are captured in the film. An introductory talk by Angana Chatterji, professor of anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies, will be held. Nov. 12, 5 p.m., Roxie Cinema. $8.
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Sholay (204 min., in Hindi with English subtitles),
Directed by Ramesh Sippy, is one of Bollywood’s all-time biggest hits. At the time that it was released in 1976, it ran for six straight years, and the film has a firm place on the map of Indian film history. The film celebrates the then-young superstars Amitabh Bacchan, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachhan, Hema Malini, and Amjad Khan playing memorable roles. This is an inimitable example of Bollywood entertainment at its best where the good guys are pitted against the bad guys in a story that has romantic entanglements and many popular songs. An introductory talk by Prof. Sudipto Chatterjee of UC Berkeley. Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m., Roxie Cinema, $9.
—NIRUPAMA VAIDHYANATHAN
Venues: Castro Theater, 429 Castro St., San Francisco. (415) 621-6120. Roxie Cinema, 3117 16th St., San Francisco. (415) 863-1087. Yerba Buena, 701 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 978-2700. $8-$9. (415) 835-4783.