San Francisco
3rd I
The San Francisco International
South Asian Film Festival
by Ana Yoerg
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Put together the collection of beautiful historic theaters and a rather politically minded and artistically appreciative audience, and it is no wonder that San Francisco's independent movie scene is as strong as it is. It seems that every week there is some kind of film festival going on, from New Italian Cinema to LGBT to Arab, Jewish, Asian-American–a wide representation of the Bay Area's diverse demographic.
One of the rising stars in this mix is the International South Asian Film Festival, which will be held this year from November 10-12, opening on Friday night at the Yerba Buena Theater with a documentary on the South Asian Underground music movement, and followed by a compilation of short films by local San Francisco filmmakers.
Ivan Jaigirdar, director and co-founder of 3rd I, the non-profit organization responsible for bringing this event to the city for the fourth year in a row, expects a strong turnout of 5-6,000 viewers and full seating capacity at the Castro and the Roxie Theater on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Perhaps it is the fun-filled evening screenings of both the latest from Bollywood (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna [Kank]/Never Say Goodbye) and the 1976 cult classic Sholay–the famous “curry western”–that draws so many to the theaters. But with a solid lineup of this year's dramatic feature films and cutting-edge documentaries from India, Sri Lanka, and the South Asian Diaspora, including Europe, the U.S. and Canada, any selection will be sure to delight, inspire, and amaze.
Several of the chosen films this year will showcase diverse images of South Asians and highlight common themes of identity and expatriation, particularly in a postcolonial world in which many seek to make a place for themselves that will accommodate their multiple histories and dreams for the future.
Collected and weaved together by youngest daughter and filmmaker Sandhya Suri, the footage chronicles the hopes and successes of a young couple in a strange country–a country in which television news programs warn about the onslaught of “colored” immigrants and in which their neighbors cannot pronounce their names. Yash remarks in an audio letter to his parents, “Even if they say to me, ‘Hey Paki,’ I'd say, with a broad grin on my face, ‘oh, did you call me?’”
We are witness to many touching moments, where Yash cannot attend a sister's wedding, begins to forget his Hindi vocabulary and ultimately must respond to urgent appeals to return home to the extended family. It is an intimate portrait of separation and loss of one's parents, roots, and country, but with a focus also on the possibilities of growth and social integration in a new land.
Further discussion of these issues will follow the film at an invitation-only reception at the Castro Theater for filmmakers, sponsors and special guests.
The next day at 5:00 p.m. Between the Lines: India's Third Gender (Germany/India, 2006) will premiere at the Roxie Theater in the Mission. Here we have the opportunity to look at a new kind of “third” identity–that which is neither man nor woman, but Hijra, or Eunuch.
Following young female photographer Anita Khemka as she documents the daily struggles of Asha, Rambha, Laxmi, and their fellow Hijras, it is a rare glimpse into the world of a group whose existence is officially denied, yet maintains a significant role in Indian society.
We are introduced to Asha as she approaches young couples in Bombay and offers blessings if they “give”–but curses if they refuse. Being themselves infertile, Hijras hold power in the Hindu religion over fertility and capitalize on their hold on the erotic and sexual realm; blessing newborn sons for money, entertaining men in brothels, bringing sex out into the open with continuous hand-clapping, “to remind people of the sound of bodies slapping together.”
While most have left their home at a young age to find a nurturing living space with other Hijras, some, like Laxmi, still have ties to family. Proud of her identity as “not man, not woman, but the third gender: Hijra,” she will appear as either of the two former genders to different people, but always remain emotionally and spiritually Hijra, quintessentially, “Laxmi”, with a strong sense of identity.
Director Thomas Wartmann gives us a window into this group's marginal life–less stable, and often violent, but with more liberty–and makes us question the contradictions in the rigidity of gender roles and how they define us in our own society.
These are just a few of the fascinating films that have been chosen for the weekend’s festival. For a complete schedule of the 2006 San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival, including more information on the selections, go to www.thirdi.org/festival/ and click on “Films.” Tickets are $8 or $9 for individual films, or you can buy an all-inclusive weekend pass for $50.