Aaina - A different picture

11:10 PM 0 Comments

It is my honor to invite you to the 6th Aaina: A South Asian Women’s Focus 2011, presented by Tasveer in collaboration with the Gardner Center for Asian Art & Ideas. For the first time ever, Aaina will be held at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Indeed, it is a privilege for Tasveer and the local South Asian community to have the museum host Aaina, as it signifies a special milestone for us to be able to contribute to global social change efforts. Aaina, which will take place from the 25th through the 27th of March, celebrates the artistic work of or about South Asian women through film, visual and performing arts, and conversations.

I first experienced Aaina as a volunteer in 2009 and instantly fell in love with what the festival represents and its impact on the community. To me, Aaina is more than just another festival—it is a living, pulsating, and thriving colony that exudes soulful ingenuity. It is a “mirror” that uncovers multiple realities about South Asian women in today’s society—their perceptions, expectations, and reactions. Aaina enables us to look through that mirror with more than our eyes.

Several programs are free and all promise to push boundaries, challenge social norms, and encourage dialogue within our community. The opening program, Gupshup, showcases local artists and their original creations of illustrations and paintings, fiber art, photography, and video installation. The festival’s independent screenings offer wonderful glimpses into the varied facets of womanhood in the South Asian context, and nearly all of them will be followed by discussions with the directors! The films depict a unique approach to political activism (Gulabi Gang—Pink Saris), personal and sensitive conversations of coming out to parents (I Am), how mental health affects families (Hiding Divya), a heartwarming tale about three Nepali girls struggling to go to and stay in school (GirlWorld Project), an encounter between two women leading completely different lives (Chaukaith—Threshold), and soccer-playing girls tackling stereotypes (Afghan Girls Can Kick). The festival also features an international artist from Nepal in a one-act play (Swasnimanchhe) about the lives of three women in contemporary Nepal, an exploration of Afghans in America through readings from “One Story, Thirty Stories” by three literary artist-activists, and Aaina’s spotlight event—Yoni Ki Baat (“YKB,” inspired by The Vagina Monologues)—written and performed by local South Asian Women and directed by the lovely Shahana Dattagupta. A portion of the proceeds from YKB is being donated to Chaya, a Seattle-based domestic violence organization.