Videos explore South Asian diaspora

"Beyond Destination," a program of recent independent videos exploring issues of identity, journeying and rootlessness among the South Asian diaspora, will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Film Studies Center auditorium, Cobb 307. Admission is free and limited to University students, faculty and staff.

An open discussion led by Nayan Shah, graduate student in history, will follow the program of four videos, three of which were part of the original "Beyond Destination" exhibition of film and video at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England.

The four videos are:

_ "The Wild Woman in the Woods" (Shani Mootoo, Canada, 1993, 14 min.): A South Asian lesbian who has adopted "butch" signifiers from white culture is confronted by a fiery goddess who places her in a swirl of colorful sari and jewels and wipes away preconceived notions of the passive Asian woman.

_ "Monsoon" (Maya Chowdhry, United Kingdom, 1993, 3 min.): Linking the cycles of the monsoon, women's bodies and the earth itself, menstruation is used as a metaphor for the restraints under which women have to live their lives.

_ "Latifah and Himli's Nomadic Uncle" (Alnoor Dewshi, United Kingdom, 1992, 15 min.): Using the metaphor of nomads -- who live in the industrial world but do not belong to it -- to illustrate the emerging British identities of members of the South Asian diaspora, this video explores the title characters' dilemma: Should they retain their freedom or settle in the city?

_ "Home" (Michelle Taghioff, United States, 1992, 37 min.): Adding an American perspective not featured in the original Ikon Gallery show, this video addresses the problems of placelessness, family and memory by presenting parallel stories of two women -- one making the decision to leave India, the other returning to the India of her past.

The program is sponsored by the South Asia Outreach Educational Project and the Film Studies Center. For more information, call 702-8635 or 702-1118. Persons with disabilities may request assistance in advance by calling 702-1118.