The Film
Musafer is an independent documentary film that has been shot in Frankfurt, Paris, London, Delhi and San Francisco between 2003 and 2009. The film portrays the interconnected lives of a younger generation of diasporic Sikhs by giving emphasis to their artistic expressions and in-depth conversations about the meaning of Sikhi in times of political upheaval and social uncertainty. Musafer does not attempt to portray the Sikh tradition (Sikhi) in its multifaceted forms, but instead sheds a light on the inner and outer journeys of particular individuals, their homing desires, as well as their boundary crossing endeavours.
The World Premiere
Musafer premieres at the Spinning Wheel Film Festival in Toronto/Canada, 25-27.2009 at the Royal Ontario Museum “Crystal”. Detailed information about the schedule is available at www.spinningwheeltoronto.com, [email protected] or call 416.820.5408 in Toronto.
The German premiere will be at the Intercultural Weeks Frankfurt, 10.11.2009, 19.30, Haus am Dom, Domplatz 3, 60311 Frankfurt am Main City.
The FilmmakersBrought up in Germany, both filmmakers Michael Nijhawan and Khushwant Singh share a personal and academic commitment to Sikhi, Panjabi society and culture. It is their first documentary film.
Michael Nijhawan is associate professor in sociology at York University, Toronto. He has worked and written extensively on Sikh and Panjabi society and culture, both in South Asia and the diasporic context. His recent books include: Dhadi Darbar: Religion, Violence and the Performance of Sikh History (Oxford University Press) and Shared Idioms, Sacred Symbols, and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia (Routledge, 2009).
Khushwant Singh holds a position as programme coordinator at the Centre for international Migration and Development (CIM/GTZ) in Germany. He has studied Social Anthropology and did research in Panjab and Germany. Khushwant is a PhD candidate at Goldsmith College London. His current research centers on unaccompanied young refugees. Khushwant is actively involved in interreligious dialogue; he is a member of the Council of Religions in Frankfurt, teaches Sikhi to youngsters, writes articles and gives lectures on Sikhi.
Visit www.musaferthefilm.com to see the trailer and to get more information about the film.