Sikh Film Festival Raises Awareness

February 5, 2007

Author: Andrew Valencia

Source: The Stanford Daily

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/2/5/sikhFilmFestivalRaisesAwareness

Over 11 hours, in 13 movies, Sikh culture was highlighted in Cubberley Auditorium on Saturday.

The movie marathon was the second-annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival, an event sponsored by the Stanford Sikh Students Association.

“The medium of film helps convey the Sikh culture to a very broad audience,” said Manvir Singh ‘07, president of the Stanford Sikh Students Association.

The featured films ranged from “Who Do You Think You Are?” - a documentary by acclaimed “Bend It Like Beckham” director Gurinder Chadha - to the post-Sept. 11 drama “The Gold Bracelet” to the animated feature “Saka Sirhind.” The festival played host to a number of different film genres and styles, while providing illuminating insight into the Sikh experience - from centuries past to the modern day.

From “Who Do You Think You Are?”, which examined British Sikhs’ cultural experiences, to “A Dream in Doubt,” which focused on hate crimes against Sikhs following Sept. 11, the films touched on powerful experiences in the lives of Sikhs.