Short films @ MONITOR 7, presented by SAVAC

“Just keep in mind that some of these are, you know, experimental films.”

The words were murmured during a conversation I had with Srimoyee Mitra, the SAVAC Programming Coordinator, when I picked up the preview discs of films showcased in MONITOR 7.

I can’t blame her for feeling the need to manage my expectations. I am part of the larger South Asian community. The one that, as a whole, loves its Indian blockbusters but not always the art & independent films from its own diaspora because … well, I’m not sure.

Because … we may fall under the umbrella term “South Asian” but that doesn’t mean we all speak or think or like the same stuff?

Because … deep down, most of us are actually quite conservative, more like the blockbusters and less like the arts scene?

Because … we don’t like admitting when we don’t “get” something artsy, such as an abstract painting or a modern sculpture or a rough independent film?

It’s all a matter of personal taste. And past experiences, present-day attitudes, future ambitions… but I digress.

Of the 12 films screening at MONITOR 7, here are a few that resonated with me.

LYING IN WAIT by Ambereen Siddiqui: A balcony, a night sky, and bursts of light while the same voices repeat the same words, over and over. Suddenly through the babble a phrase is clearly heard. Then the voices start repeating the words again. The simplicity of this film is deceptive. In this global age when we are constantly bombarded by media outlets and we take for granted the instant technological connections to our loved ones everywhere, this film brings home the impact of just how much anxiety we feel when we can do nothing but lie in wait for our loved ones to tell us that they’ve survived, that they’re ok, that help is on the way.

SEEKING SINGLE WHITE MALE by Vivek Shraya: The lines flash on-screen with those words: brown, exotic, attractive, not. Ohh. Have you heard them said to you? Have you said them to someone? Some memories don’t fade. Simply put, I loved this one. Brilliant.

HOW TO BE A BROWN TEEN by The Torontonians:  The SAVAC program notes that this film “delves gleefully into the uncomfortable candidness of teen humor”. Yup, I was increasingly uncomfortable watching the young teen in the role of MasterJi teach lessons that start with “a roti a day keeps the doctor away”, but ultimately conclude that “being a brown person sucks”. These kids are talented, though. I wonder what their parents think?

AN EXPERIMENT ON MG ROAD by Asim Waqif: This would be one of those films where I realize at the end that I’m no longer sure what this film is about with its commentary regarding India’s state-endorsed terror via infrastructure development. But given the amount of construction and pseudo-security I saw on my last visit to Delhi, I enjoyed watching these guys play life-sized Jenga under what looks like a highway overpass as part of their experiment. I especially like how they thank those they have mocked and protect themselves from the mock-ees towards the end of the film.

The overall theme of this year’s program is the object that remains, that is the secularized object, the residual object, the creation of time as an object, and the moving image as an inventory of these objects. The four films mentioned above will screen with works by Sharmila Samant, Smriti Mehra & Tahireh Lal, Md Hasan Morshed, Shereen Soliman, Nabil Ahmed, Nahed Mansour, Karen Mirza & Brad Butler and Jane Chang.

MONITOR 7 was programmed by Ayesha Hameed along with a jury consisting of Erik Martinson, Srimoyee Mitra, Pablo de Ocampo, Ananya Ohri, and Dinesh Sachdev. The screenings will be held on Thursday 24 March at Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Drive at 7.30pm in Toronto. Tickets are free for SAVAC members, $10 for non-members, $5 for students.

SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre) is a non-profit artist-run centre dedicated to the development and presentation of contemporary art by artists of South Asian backgrounds. Further information is available from savac.net.

See also:

Globe and Mail for R.M.Vaughan’s commentary on Saturday, 19 March

Masala Canada’s interview with MONITOR 7 Guest Programmer, Ayesha Hameed, on 19 March Episode, at 41:35 http://j.mp/aasLBb

MyBindi‘s interview with MONITOR 7 Guest Programmer, Ayesha Hameed, on 10 March