Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
Anita Barar
Dear Syed Zafar,
I just spoke to you now. Attached is a media release and Invitation for the
launch of film. The film is being launched by noted singer 'Kamahl'. The
inaugural Screening and Official launch will be held on Sunday 5 August, 5-7pm,
Riverside Theatres, Parramatta Sydney.
Hope you and anyone from your Sada-e-Watan team can make it there. May I also
request you to forward the invite to Editor Syed Javed and your newspaper
advisors Dr. Shabbir Haider and Dr. Akram Hassan please.
With Regards,
Anita Barar
Mobile: 0409 049 619
CROSSING THE LINE
(Media Release to Sada-e-Watan
Sydney)
Kamahl to launch a local film about the partition of India – not forgotten!
Inaugural Screening and Official launch to be held on Sunday 5 August, 5-7pm, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. Free Event – One Night Only.
The singer and media personality Kamahl will launch an amazing story of Sydney’s local Indian and Pakistani communities next week on Sunday 5th August. Written and directed by local filmmaker Anita Barar, Crossing the Line is the first documentary film produced about two communities – Indians and Pakistanis with different ideologies living in harmony in Sydney, Australia and sharing their memories of the division of India in 1947.
Crossing the Line is a 75 minute documentary film, the first of its kind in Australia on the 60th anniversary of a happening – Partition of India which tells the stories of two communities who were deeply affected by the division of what became India and Pakistan.
Kamahl has been entertaining audiences with his unique brand of easy listening entertainment for more than 50 years. The inaugural Screening and Official launch will be held on Sunday 5 August, 5-7pm, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. A free event for one night only.
Kamahl said: “It has been said that ‘There are good people and bad. There is little you can do about the bad, but the tragedy is that so many good people do bad things in the name of religion’. Crossing the Line is the beginning of the recovery, of some of the shattered lives, after one of the worst bloodbaths in history.”
In 1947, when India attained freedom from the British Empire, a line was drawn on the map of India on the basis of religious majority and creation of a new country – Pakistan came into existence. Millions crossed the borders and massive violence and slaughter occurred on both sides. The history of humanity has perhaps not witnessed a darker tragedy. Without waging a war, millions died and tens of millions were uprooted from their homes.
Crossing the Line was produced as a result of the passion of Anita Barar, who wanted the stories of her community told and their experiences shared on the screen. Anita successfully brought together members of the Indian Australian & Pakistani Australian community and conducted a series of storytelling workshops which were digitally documented providing insights into the long-term aftermath of experiences of migration and displacement – the disorienting experience of living in a new country while profound and enormous changes take place in one’s country of origin.
“I was born in Independent India. For me, everything that happened at the time of partition was safely tucked away either in history books or in the shared memory of my parents. Their various recollections would tell me the stories of loss, enmity, violence, friendship, hope and love.” Anita Barar
Anita Barar commenced working on Crossing the Line in 2005 after she completed the Originate program managed by Western Sydney based community and arts organisation Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE). Originate: Multicultural + Multimedia + Mentorship program provided Anita with the knowledge and tools to work with communities using digital media and access to state-of-the-art multimedia facilities to see her project come to life. Originate is funded by the federal government through the Australia Council, and supported and accredited by TAFE NSW.
Official launch and screening of Crossing the Line
Sunday 5 August, 5-7pm, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
MEDIA ENQUIRIES & IMAGES – PLEASE CONTACT Anita Barar on 0409 049 619 or email anita.barar@optusnet.com.au
