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A word about yesterday's programs
The second day of Aaina began with our first-ever Chaya-led Community Speaks forum. Through the use of words, poetry, and performance and visual art, survivors of domestic violence exposed abuse that comes in various shapes, that we all live with but are afraid to speak against. While what was being highlighted were experiences of grief and pain, the process of naming the horror itself unraveled a path to healing, curing, and empowerment of the self. An amazingly potent experience for the audience!
The inspirational collection of shorts Girl Stars proved that with the right kind of support, encouragement, opportunity and love, even the most ordinary of girls are able to achieve astonishing accomplishments. These personal narratives of young girls from India's rural areas saw resonance in Tibet's Daughters of Wisdom that seek personal salvation and independence by choosing religion as a vocation, no matter what the cost.
The night ended with yet another powerful rendition of Yoni Ki Baat. Although some of us watched it for the second time, the show was far from being a replication. Live performances are not like a movie replay: it is the nature itself of the actor - spectator dialectic that impacts each performance, its reception, and interpretation. And this is exactly the sentiment that we all came away with. It didn't seem like the same YKB but a much powerful and potent presentation of desi girls' subversive narratives of the female self.
Audience's comments:
“How can I as a man help out victims of domestic abuse within our community?”
“What can we do to stop relationships tumble down an irredeemable path of crisis, violence and abuse?”
“Girl Stars were funny, cute and extremely inspirational stories!”
March 30th, Sunday • Central Cinema, 1411 21st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122
2PM My Daughter the Terrorist & 6 Yards to Democracy, $5 suggested donation
4PM Critical Panel Discussion, FREE
7PM Closing night feature film: Nina's Heavenly Delights, $7 suggested donation
My Daughter the Terrorist & Six Yards to Democracy • 2PM, March 30th, Sunday
Cost: $5.00 suggested donation
 My Daughter the Terrorist
Beate Arnestad, Sri Lanka / Norway, 2007, 52 minutes, Tamil/English, DVD
What makes anyone want to blow themselves up for a cause? In this intimate and personal portrait we join two young female elite soldiers trained for the ultimate mission. We share their childhood experiences, their dreams and their families’ loss. Left behind are the mothers.
Six Yards to Democracy
Nishtha Jain & Smriti Nevatia, India, 2006, 55 minutes, Hindi with English subtitles, DVD
6 Yards to Democracy revisits a gruesome incident that took place during an election rally in north India. Thousands of women from poor localities of Lucknow city, lured by the promise of free saris, had been waiting for hours in the harsh sun for the cheap six-yard cloths. A stampede occurred: 22 died and hundreds were injured. This seemingly stray happening uncovers the sordid side of Indian democracy, and connects in significant ways with the daily humiliations forced upon these women and their families. As boomtown dynamics keep pushing them further into the margins, we observe the women's struggles to keep their homes, hopes and dignity intact while petitioning an apathetic state for their dues.
Critical Panel Discussion • 4PM, March 30th, Sunday
Cost: FREE
South Asian Women: Fundamentalism, Religion, Violence, and Governance
This panel looks into the ways that issues of religion, fundamentalism and governance intersect with each other and simultaneously impact the lives of South Asian women in a multiplicity of situations. The panel is composed of the following speakers:
Prof. Elora Chowdhury (University of Massachusetts) will be exploring the question of violence and women in Bangladesh and in particular will focus on the growing epidemic of acid attack against women in the country. By focusing on the story of Bina Akhter, a survivor/activist of acid violence, she will explore how feminists in Bangladesh navigate Orientalist, modernist, and transnational discourses of women's empowerment in developing strategies and initiatives in response to gendered violence.
Prof. Tayyab Mahmud (Seattle University) will address the relationship between modes of governance and the rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan. Bringing four distinct phases between 1950 -2000 into focus, he would argue that the "rise" of religious fundamentalism was orchestrated by a state whose mode of governance rests upon lack of representation and denial of federalism. Regional and global geo-politics furnished the broader context within which this process unfolded. His talk will also incorporate the symbolic and substantive role of women leaders in Pakistani politics. In particular he will talk in a comparative mode about Fatima Jinnah (Jinnah's sister who challenged Ayub Khan in the 1965 elections) and Benazir Bhutto.
Brahmy Poologasingham (Attorney, Dorsey & Whitney, and Human Rights Commissioner, Seattle) will give an overview of the human rights violations in Sri Lanka as they relate to the terrorist activities and the government's part in the ethnic Tamil/Singhala conflict. Specifically as it pertains to women, she will be talking about the cycle of violence the conflict has created as well as the unique position women have within the terrorist organization (LTTE) and their contribution to the peace keeping process.
Prof. Meenakshi Rishi (Seattle University) will focus on issues of Grassroots governance in India, Iconic political persona, Women in Business, and Fundamentalism in India.
Closing Night Feature: Nina's Heavenly Delights
Pratibha Parmar, UK / India, 2007, 95m, English/Hindi
7PM, March 30th, Sunday
Cost: $7 suggested donation
It is a surprising love story where Scottish humour meets Bollywood spectacle! It follows the mixed fortunes of a Glaswegian family, THE SHAHS and their award winning Indian restaurant, THE NEW TAJ.
The story is told through the eyes of NINA SHAH, a young Scottish Asian woman engaged in her own highly personal identity crisis. NINA had left home under a cloud after a row with her father but when he dies suddenly, Nina is forced to return. Her return reunites her with her childhood friend Bobbi, a wannabe Bollywood drag queen and brings her face to face with Lisa, a charismatic young woman who now owns half the restaurant.
Then Nina discovers her father’s secret – The New Taj has been selected for The Best of the West Curry Competition. In the turbulent days that follow, Nina (helped by Lisa) embarks on a personal mission to win the trophy for the third time. But Nina's feelings are thrown into turmoil when she realises that she is falling in love.
Can her feelings ever be reciprocated? And, if they are, what will this mean for Nina and her family.
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