********** INDIA & PAKISTAN: RECENT TITLES FROM WMM **********
As the long-standing conflicts between India and Pakistan become increasingly important in the realm of world affairs, Women Make Movies is proud to highlight a selection of films that bring new insight into the lives of women from this area: DON'T FENCE ME IN by Nandani Sikand, MY JOURNEY, MY ISLAM by Kay Rasool, DON'T ASK WHY by Sabiha Sumar and MADE IN INDIA by Patricia Plattner. Despite the growing political hostility, the women of India and Pakistan still share the common experience of confronting traditional gender roles, managing the conflicts of nationalism and patriarchy, as well as balancing one's personal goals with those of the family. These works bring these similarities to light, while allowing for those of us in the West to grapple with our misconceptions about South Asia and comprehend the causes of war that are being witnessed today.
****************** DON'T FENCE ME IN ************************
DON'T FENCE ME IN, A film by Nandani Sikand
http://www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c484.htm
1998, 55 minutes
Rental video $75/VHS Sale $250
Order # E662
Against the broader backdrop of modern India's political and social history, this lyrical documentary tells the story of the life of Krishna Sikand, the filmmaker's mother, from childhood to maturity. Evoking Krishna's earliest years in pre-independence Bombay as the daughter of a well-to-do Bengali family, the film also traces her post-colonial experiences--from marriage to a Punjabi army officer in the face of fierce family opposition, through the raising of two daughters and successful careers as an academic, small business entrepreneur, media consultant, journalist, and poet.
"A lyrical tribute by the filmmaker to her poet mother. Weaves together scenes shot on location, super-8 movies made 30 years ago, black and white photographs, and splendidly preserved letters to evoke the story of her mother Krishna, her choices and personal battles." Jyotirmoy Datta, India in New York
******************** MY JOURNEY, MY ISLAM *******************
MY JOURNEY, MY ISLAM, A film by Kay Rasool
http://www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c528.htm
1999, 56 minutes
Rental video $60 film $150/VHS Sale $250
Order # E715
This compelling documentary is an intriguing look at the questions that some Muslim women in the West ask themselves: what is Islam's relationship to me and my relationship to it living in the West? Rasool's personal quest to answer these questions also introduces the viewer to the lives of several Muslim women (mostly non-Arab), including several Indian Muslims, a convert and a Lebanese woman marrying a non-Arab Muslim, as she journeys between the West and the Indian sub-continent where she was born.
"...an insightful documentary that attempts to uncover the many truths of what lies behind the veil." Hesham Al-Jehani, MiddleEastUK.com
************************ DON'T ASK WHY ************************
DON'T ASK WHY, A videotape by Sabiha Sumar
http://www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c539.htm
1999, 58 minutes
Rental video $60/VHS Sale $195
Order # E729
This engaging documentary provides a rare and intimate portrait of Anousheh, an independent-minded young woman fighting to maintain her personal freedom in modern-day Pakistan. At 17, an age when most of her peers are being placed in arranged marriages, Anousheh insists on pursuing her studies and begins questioning the restrictions that her Muslim culture and religion have placed on women. Filmmaker Sabiha Sumar follows Anousheh as she struggles to realize her dreams and explore her relationship to Islam at the beginning of the 21st century. Also available as part of the "Girls Around the World" series.
"...a valuable resource for those interested in learning how young people in a culture very different from their own cope with the problems and opportunities with which they are confronted." Keith Snodgrass, Asian Educational Media Services
*************** MADE IN INDIA ***************
MADE IN INDIA, A film by Patricia Plattner
http://www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c488.htm
1998, 52 minutes
Rental video $75/VHS Sale $250.00
Order # E667
This powerful documentary is a portrait of the now-famous women's organization in India, called SEWA, that holds to the simple yet radical belief that poor women need organizing, not welfare. Inspired by the political and moral model advocated by Ghandi, SEWA is at its core a trade union for the self-employed. Since its founding its membership has grown to more than 217,000 and its bank now has 61,000 members, assets of $4 million and customers who walk in each day to deposit a dollar or take out 60 cents. Following the lives of six women involved in the organization, including Ela R. Bhat, its visionary founder, Plattner's inspiring documentary takes an important look at the power of grassroots global feminism.
"In a nation infamous for bride burnings and female infanticide, Ela [is] a heroine." Elisabeth Bumiller, Author
These titles are part of WMM's growing collection of work by and about women in South Asia, including SOMETHING LIKE A WAR by Deepa Dhanraj, ETERNAL SEED by Meera Dewan, and THE HIDDEN STORY by Shikha Jhingan and Ranjani Mazumdar. Please check out our website at www.wmm.com for information on these and other titles. You can also request a copy our 30th Anniversary catalogue or get information on other new releases http://www.wmm.com/catalog/newrelse/new_releases.htm.
*************** WMM CONTACT & ORDERING INFO *****************
To order DON'T FENCE ME IN, MY JOURNEY, MY ISLAM, DON'T ASK WHY and MADE IN INDIA, please visit our website www.wmm.com, or contact us at:
Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, Suite 502E, New York, NY 10013
P/212.925.0606 x360, F/212.925.2052
[log in to unmask] www.wmm.com
********************** ABOUT WMM *****************************
Women Make Movies is a non-profit organization which facilitates the production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of feminist media. Celebrating our 30th year as the world's largest distributor of films and videos made by and about women, we provide a diverse collection of more than 450 titles to the viewing public and are supported in part by grants from such agencies as the MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Our catalogue is used by thousands of educational, community and cultural organizations annually.
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Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite
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