Monitor 3
2007 40 min
Monitor 3, SAVAC’s third annual screening of contemporary South Asian film and video offers a curated glimpse into the vast amount of work being created by South Asian artists internationally. The videos selected for Monitor 3 (both by design and coincidence) deal with traumatic actions, testimony and mobility. What do these prevalent themes tell us about video practice within the South Asian diaspora? Can video be a tool for empathy and healing in the aftershock of tragic events or physical assault? The representations of these themes and subject matter vary forcefully. They range from acts of assault, technically aggressive camera and editing styles, statements on prejudice and the past, to essayistic examinations of distressing events.
– Claire Eckert. Gauging Trauma and Empathy: New themes in South Asian Film and Video. (2007)
Fire, fences and flight by Ayesha Hameed| Canada | 2005 | video | 5:08 min.
“Fire, fences and flight” is an essayistic take on two fire-fueled events in Europe that reveal folly in policy matters and the timeliness of public dissidence in reaction to a troubled immigrant condition.
Ishnan by Tejpal S. Ajji | Canada | 2005 | video | 7 min.
“Ishnan” presents chilly and unpleasant footage of the artist being washed down by a high-pressure carwash hose.
Clifton to Saddar by Faisal Anwar | Canada | 2006 | video | 1min.
“Clifton to Saddar” is a compressed and rapid vision of mobility between two economically disparate areas in Karachi.
Dead Beat by Smriti Mehra | Canada/ India | 2004 | video | 1:39 min.
Quick and bloody, “Dead Beat” peeks into the day-to-day routine of a Bangalore butcher shop.
Outside the Saying Of It by Vaidehi Chitre | USA/ India | 2005 | video | 18 min.
Through conversation with an Iranian filmmaker, “Outside the Saying Of It” intimately conveys the messed up matters of one person’s political dissent, military service, and American dreaming.
Patriot Story by Naeem Mohaiemen | USA | 2005 | video | 7min.
“Patriot Story” relays a sadly familiar story of the post 9-11 circumstance where Arab and Muslim men are subjected to invasive and non-evidential raiding.
Claire Eckert holds a Masters of Art History from York University, Toronto, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queen’s University, Kingston. Claire was the former Program and Outreach Coordinator for Film, Video, and New Media at the Blackwood Gallery, Mississauga. In addition to programming activities at the Blackwood, Claire was involved in exhibitions and screenings at various organizations in Ontario. She currently divides her time between work in Canada, and London UK.
