3rd i Films co-presents
with the “Reimagining Indian Ocean Worlds” Mellon Initiative
at University of California, Davis
AFRO-ASIAN-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
Two films that bring the African/African-American and South Asian communities into dialogue around issues of identity and immigration.
A Stray (2016, 82 min)
Director: Musa Syeed
When: Feb 23, 6:30pm
Where: International House (10 College Park, Davis, CA 95616)
In Minneapolis’ large Somali refugee community, Adan has nowhere to go. His mom kicked him out, and his friends are tired of his headstrong ways. As a last resort, he moves into the mosque, praying for a little help. Surprisingly, God seems to answer. Adan quickly lands a good job, devout friends, and a newfound faith. When Adan nearly hits a stray dog on the job, he’s forced to take it in for a night. But one of his new mosque friends considers the dog impure, and he throws Adan out. With Adan back on the streets, surrounded by his old crew, ex-girlfriends, prying FBI agents, and his estranged family, the dog may be his only friend as he tries to keep his faith and get through the night.
Korla (2015, 78 min)
Director: John Turner
When: Mar 7, 6:30pm
Where: Wyatt Pavilion Theater (UC Davis, Arboretum Dr, Davis, CA 95616)
As multifaceted as the sparkling jewel he wore on his turban, spiritual seeker Korla Pandit was a television pioneer and a godfather of the exotica music genre. From 1949, first in Los Angeles and subsequently in San Francisco, this self-described son of a Brahmin priest from New Delhi performed on TV daily while staring silently and dreamily into the camera. In the 1950s he charmed American housewives, and decades later he would emerge as a cult figure while playing at clubs populated by Los Angeles tiki-lounge-loving hipsters. Often pegged as a “man of mystery,” Korla lived up to that billing when his amazing secret was revealed upon his death in 1998. Korla Pandit’s dizzying life offers a revealing look into race and identity politics in America.
Series co-sponsors include: Midddle East/South Asia Studies, African-American Studies, South Asia Without Borders Initiative, International House, Performance Studies Graduate Group
