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Toronto film fest showcases Sikh
movies
 At this
Smorgasbord of world cinema, Punjabi cinephiles were delighted at
the line up 26 movies as part of the Spinning Wheel Film Festival at
the Isabel Bader Theatre in
Toronto.
This is the
fourth festival in a row and will go from
Toronto to
Beverley Hills from November 14 to 16.
This film
festival alongwith the Sikhnet Online Film Festival has fostered
tremendous Sikh talent in the field of cinema and multimedia across
the world.
The festival
also featured the launch of the Sikhpoint Art Calendar, “A walk
through History.”
Nandita Das’s
directorial debut “Firaaq” which has been premiered at this festival
and which depicted the politics of violence and aftermath in post-Godhra
Gujarat
was a keenly seen and debated movie.
The film menu
included the following outstanding films.
American Made
In their American made car, the Singh family is on the road taking
the great American family trip - the
Grand Canyon.
Their SUV breaks down on the side of the road in the middle of
nowhere. Anant, a Sikh-American wearing a turban, sees this as just
another challenge - an opportunity to save the family and tell great
stories about their escape from danger.
Turban Pride
Every Sikh's turban is different, but in a turban-tying competition,
attention to detail really counts. Additional creases, alignment
and color are just some of the elements that can add or deduct from
a perfect score. Join us as a panel of judges critiques an unwitting
participant.
Roots & Wings
We are proud to premiere this second documentary by the
award-winning, 14-year old Angad Singh. He poses the question: does
one one have to cut off one's roots in order to spread one's wings
and soar high.
Kabhu Na Chhadon
Khet
The film presents an enactment of a very common scene which took
place in seventeenth century
North India.
Here, villagers are shown grappling with the problem of foreign
invaders. It describes how the then nascent Sikh faith infused a new
voice, determination, self-esteem and self-confidence in a populace
which had hitherto accepted every tyranny and privation as mere
products of fate and destiny.
 The Rise of
Khalsa
The film surveys the lifestyle of the Nihangs - a small group of
warrior-saints in the Khalsa tradition who, however, continue to
cling to the traditions that hark back to their heydey in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Breathtaking scenes of the
celebration of the annual fair of Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib in
Punjab
and the war games displayed by these Nihangs are the highlight of
this beautiful film.
Impresario: An
Ordinary Man
Sarabjit Singh of the weekly TV-show, Chardi Kala (OMNI-TV,
Canada) interviews Iqbal Singh Mahal and explores his love for the
Punjabi language and the art and culture of the Sikh diaspora. Iqbal
describes how this passion turned into a life-long mission to
record, preserve, inspire, document, archive and promote the poetry
and music of Punjab, and why and how he has now turned to the next
frontier ... film!
Right to Turban
This film gives a personal account of the problems faced by French
and Belgian Sikhs fighting for their right to wear a Turban, which
is an integral article of faith. The film also gives details of the
legal action that is being undertaken as a result in French and
international courts, led by "United Sikhs", a NGO which fights for
the rights of Sikhs in the diaspora.
Thirty-Five - "Paintee"
The Gurmukhi/Punjabi alphabet is popularly known as the "Paintee"
- the "Thirty-Five" - because of the 35 letters in it. The film
"35" studies the power of language on a culture, and the manner in
which it influences a community's growth and development. It then
delves into the scriptural heritage of the Sikhs by exploring the
origins of the Gurmukhi script and a brief history of the Punjabi
language over the course of the last millennium.
My Sikh Wedding
The documentary follows a young couple through a whirlwind 24 hours:
from preparations the night before their wedding to the ceremony at
the Gurdwara, and on to the grand reception afterward. Along the
way, viewers also get the perspective of matchmakers Ranjit and
Gurbax, a Sikh couple now in their 63rd year of marriage. Thus, the
film traces the adjustments that Sikh cultural traditions are going
through in their shift from the
Punjab landscape
to that of Canada.
Dubai's
Guru Nanak Darbar
The Sikh community of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) numbers more
than 40,000, which includes professionals and business
entrepreneurs, as well as workers in the construction, auto,
mechanical and labour industries. The ruler of
Dubai, HH Sheikh
Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of
UAE, has very graciously donated over 25000 square feet of land to
the local Sikh community to build a modern gurdwara. The total
project cost is estimated at US $20 million.
 Nanak
Nam
Jahaz Hai
This film created a nationwide sensation when it was released in
1969. It broke all existing box office records as millions lined up
to see this drama of a Sikh family as it deals with its trials and
tribulations by dipping into the well-springs of Sikhi. It is famous
for its tour of the gurdwaras, its cast led by veteran Prithviraj
Kapoor, and its popular music score, directed by Mohinder Singh
Sarna - who is also being honoured at this festival for his
life-work in films!
Luthiers of
Punjab
Traditional Sikh musical instruments are seeing a revival in modern
Punjab
and around the world. Renowned musician and musicologist, Bhai
Baldeep Singh, explores crafting techniques with three master
craftsmen - Gurdial Singh, Gyani Krishan Singh and Hansraj - in a
trilogy on the Luthiers (musical-instrument craftsmen) of East
Punjab.
Sobha Singh: My
Footprints
This film explores the life and work of artist Sobha Singh whose
iconic images of the Sikh Gurus, and depictions of the legends and
folklore of
Punjab, shifted
the popular imagery in the public mind from calendar art to a new
way of seeing ourselves and our past.
Sikh-Canadian
Heroes of the First World War
Who
knows that a handful of Sikhs also fought in WW1 as part of the
Canadian Army? At a time when Sikhs were actively prevented from
immigrating to
Canada
and were denied Canadian citizenship, these men joined with other
Canadians to fight in Europe. Of the nine Canadian soldier Sikhs so
far identified, eight served in Canada, England, and France. Three
were wounded in action and three died as a result of their wartime
service.
The
Battle
of Chillianwala
Less than a decade after the death of Ranjit Singh, the great
Emperor of Punjab, on
January 13,
1848, the Khalsa army engaged in a crucial battle with the British
at Chillianwala, Punjab. The British had the advantage of numbers
and attempted to force the Punjabis into the River Jhelum. But the
latter had snipers scattered in the brushwood and took a heavy toll
on the British infantry and cavalry. The bloody battle went on for
days and left 3000 British dead, and victory in the hands of the
Sikhs, led by Sher Singh Attariwala.
The Bhangra
Generation
An innovative "sociological-musical" documentary by Raj Paul Singh
Dhillon, this film examines the lives of four, second generation
Canadians who are fast-tracking their way to success via the growing
phenomenon called "Bhangra", based on the age-old folk dance of the
Sikhs and Punjabis. These musicians and entrepreneurs are making
their mark by taking the traditional dance and music and blending it
with other musical genres – and thus finding new ways of expressing
themselves through their culture.
The Making of 'Fana'a:
Ranjha Revisted'
The film surveys an internationally acclaimed dance-music
production, collaboratively made by dancer/choreographer Navtej
Singh Johar, Sufi singer/composer/lyricist Madan Gopal Singh and
Carnatic vocalist and composer G. Elangovan. A very finely
corroborated performance, it aims to highlight the highly nuanced,
distilled quality of Punjabi poetry and music into bold relief.
Born to Sing
This film profiles the lives of a community of women singers in
Punjab -
the Mirasans. With songs that mark celebrations of birth, marriage
and even death, they take part in their patrons' life cycles of joys
and sorrow. They have been known to carry the darkest secrets of
royalty, from one generation to another. The film takes us through
the journey of four such mirasans who reminisce about the fondness
of the patrons of this rich oral tradition, taking us back and forth
in time.
Saka Sirhind
This animation film for young children tells the story of the two
youngest sons - sahibzadeh - of Guru Gobind Singh, and their
ultimate sacrifice at a tender age when they were bricked alive by
the tyrant of Sirhind for having refused to abjure their faith.
Cultural Safari
Come along and join Alex, Mathew and Josh as they explore Sikh
culture. This ground breaking film, produced by the Kaur Foundation,
is made specially for educators, administrators and the peers of
Sikh students at school. The film helps children and adults of all
ages learn about the Sikhs.
Maharaja
This animation film deftly recreates the life of young Ranjit, from
his ancestry and birth, through his eventful childhood, the tragic
loss of his father at an early age and Ranjit's being named Chief of
the Sukerchakia clan, his rise as a soldier and statesman, and his
ascendancy to the throne as Maharaja of all Punjab - at the age of
twenty-one!
 Sundri
This is an animated adaptation of the famous Punjabi novel by Bhai
Vir Singh set in the 17th century, when the nascent Sikh community
was forced to live in the wilderness because of the oppression and
forced conversions of the populace by the invading Afghans and
Mughals. "Sundri" relates the adventures of a brave Sikh woman who
remains steadfast in her commitment to a life of compassion and
courage in the face of a string of personal ordeals.
The Making of
Liverpool
This animation was inspired by a painting created by the
internationally renowned British Sikh artists duo, The Singh Twins.
It explores both the history of and the artists' personal connection
with their home city of
Liverpool,
England. Working closely with Liverpool-based animators from Sparkle
Media, the film remains true to the artists' award-winning Indian
miniature style.
Khuda Ke Liye
A powerful drama that criss-crosses continents, it grapples with the
clash of cultures that an immigrant Pakistani family finds itself
in - trying to balance traditions of the home country with the
mores of the new. Though dealing with a Muslim and Pakistani
context, the issues apply to people of all faiths today who are
struggling with an ever-shrinking, inter-faith and inter-racial
world.
Bhowani Junction
George Cukor turns John Masters' novel into a monumental MGM epic,
capturing the chaos created by the hurried flight of the British
from the mess they had created through a divide-and-rule policy and
the resulting, tragic splintering of the sub-continent. Against this
turbulent backdrop, Victoria Jones ("Ava Gardner is absolutely
irresistable" ) finds herself torn between two men ... Col. Rodney
Savage (played by Stewart Granger) and Ranjit Singh (Francis
Matthews). The film is renowned as one of the earliest to have a
major Sikh character, and for a seminal scene in which Ava Gardner
prepares to participate in an Amrit Sanchaar ceremony.
 Rex versus Singh
Early in the 20th century, racist Canadian immigration authorities,
in conjuncion with the
Vancouver police
and the Justice System, conspired to use false and trumped-up
charges to harass Sikh-Canadian immigrants. As actual court
transcripts have revealed, a number of the latter were thus
persecuted and sent to years in jail. This film by a world renowned
documentary filmmaker uses the transcript of one such trial to
reveal the underbelly of a racist mindset which plagued Canadian
society of the time.
Film details
courtesy official website of Spinning Wheel Film Festival
15 October 2008
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