Persistence Resistance: part II (the film critique)

As I promised, I am back with the Film review... The most important thing to be mentioned here is that its completely subjective and my personal view... 

Enjoy Reading...

(for those who haven't read the first part yet: http://writertj.blogspot.com/2011/04/persistence-resistance-published-after.html)

My Mother India

Directed by: Safina Uberoi

English (subtitled), 52min, 2001, Australia

My Mother India is a deeply moving, emotional and passionate movie, set in the backdrop of modern Indian history. The director of the film is a child of a mixed marriage, with Indian Sikh father and Australian modern mother. Apart from her parents, the film also portrays the contrasting characters of her grandparents, and her younger brother and sister, brought up, majorly in Australia. This film is based on the multicultural family, the transition of generations, and the social, political and religious events of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 which tore the family apart.

The story has been carefully and very skilfully weaved, with the use of first person narrative, and interviews with other family members. The story begins with an introduction to the family members and their lifestyle. It takes us back to the pre-independence and independence era, and the Indo-Pak division, and the coming of their family from Lahore to Punjab (the part of independent India). This highlights the atrocities faced by her grandmother, and thus the reason behind her (grandmother’s) hatred towards her grandfather. A clear picture of the patriarchal society, and the position and condition of a woman in it, is drawn. Interview with the lady herself, her grandmother, shows the deep agony she feels and lives, and the hatred she nurses for her husband. Various instances have been narrated which support her argument and compel us to empathize with her.

The story slowly transits to her parents’ life, how they met and got into this intercontinental bond of marriage. Her mother’s perspective has been shown and given emphasis: What she feels about living in India, and being a part of an Indian family. We find that she is happily settled in her own small Indian world, and seldom wishes to go to Australia, and she is actually so engrossed here that she doesn’t really want to return ever. She refuses to visit one of her family member’s funeral, which shows how deeply she feels associated with India.

But this bond turns out to be one sided and is harshly stirred when the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her Sikh body guards, following the Golden temple “blue star operation” incident. The family, especially the Mother goes through immense mental torture and starts questioning her identity. She feels sad to associate herself with India, and thrives to explore her nationality through self-introspection. This is evoked by her husband trying to find his own identity as a Sikh, or rather an Indian Sikh. The questions raised are: whether Sikhs are really a part of India? Does one incident outcast the whole Sikh community? Do they consider themselves Indians when India doesn’t consider them so?

In the course of events, the grandfather dies a rather emotionally unstable and painful, and ugly death. Her grandmother “triumphs”. She “outlived” him. These are some of the expressions used to show the mental trauma that her grandmother is in, not because of her husband’s death, but since her early ages and due to the mental and physical abuse she faced.

The rest of the story unveils the endeavours of the Mother in surviving, as an Indian, and protecting her children by sending first her son, and then the younger daughter to Australia, and later finally the director also. The rebellious step of sending the son to Australia shows the strength she has. She doesn’t even consult her husband once, before sending her son off to a ‘different’ nation. The film ends with the usual “happy-ending” of Indian cinema, with the director getting married to an Indian Sikh, in a traditional wedding organised by her parents.

The theme and script are strong and compelling. You never really blink eyes once the family enters the turmoil. The narration is composed and effective. It almost transfers all the emotions over the audio, and combined with the extreme close up video shots, it involves you so much that you almost get a lump in your throat. The overall cinematography is excellent. No shot is out of place or without a meaning. The use of audio is also commendable. Sounds of moving train to show the transition, mobs to induce fear, sad musicals tunes to show the mental state of the family, are examples of the effective use of sound effects. Safina Uberoi makes sure that you are her fan after watching the movie, and start liking documentaries if you don’t yet.

Cast and Crew:

Producer: Penny McDonald     

Writer: Safina Uberoi

Director: Safina Uberoi

Editor:   Reva Childs                      

Cinematographer: Himman Dhamija

Production Manager: Jacqui North       

Production Manager (India): Himman Dhamija

Script Editor: Penny McDonald

Sound Recordist: P.M. Satheesh

Sound Designer: Penn Robinson

Sound Mixer: Tony Vaccher

Composer: Miroslav Bukovsky

Musicians: Miroslav Bukovsky, Sandy Evans, Tony Gorman, Sukhbir Singh, Greg Sheehan, Alistair Spence

Awards Won by the film:

• The Rouben Mamoulian Award, Dendy Awards – Sydney Film Festival 2002
• CRC Award, Dendy Awards – Sydney Film Festival 2002
• Script Writing Award, NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2002
• Best Long Form Documentary, Australian Teachers of Media Awards 2002
• Odyssey Award for Best Documentary, Real: Life On Film Festival 2002
• Jury Prize for Best Australian Documentary, Australian Film Critics Circle 2002
• Special Jury Award, Hawaii International Film Festival 2001
• Special Commendation, Mill Valley International Film Festival 2001
• Best Video Production, Melbourne International Film Festival 2001