(Selected)
Making Maheshwari (working title)
(In production. 40 min. India. English, Hindi, and Nimadi with English Subtitles)
Maheshwar, a weaving community in central Madhya Pradesh, India, has evolved into a global textile hub since its patronage by Maratha Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar in the eighteenth century. The city embraces diverse people seeking social uplift through sari weaving, dyeing, and embroidering. However, today a heated discourse brews within the community, sparked by a government initiative to label Maheshwar-woven products with a Geographic Index tag—one in a suite of heritage policies promoted by global organizations like the World Intellectual Property Organization to govern regional artistic production. This documentary unfolds the traditional narratives and everyday creative practices of contemporary Maheshwari weavers, exploring what makes an authentic Maheshwari product for those closest to the “source.”
—with Dhanya Kolathur, Ertiqa Khan, and Ihaab Syed.
Bhaskar Chitrakar: Painting Kalighat Moderns
(2024. 11 min. India. Bengali and Hindi with English Subtitles)
Distributor: Royal Anthropological Institute Films Division
Bhaskar Chitrakar is among the last hereditary painters of the famed Kalighat temple tradition. From his unassuming home studio, he creates colorful and sensuous artworks that traverse global museums and art fairs. This short documentary explores Chitrakar’s painting style and eclectic sources of visual inspiration. We hear his perspectives about the decline of younger apprentices taking up painting work in his community, and his aspirations for the future of the craft. How has an artistic tradition ensconced in Hindu religious iconography and British colonial patronage become a site for modern secular social criticism? With characteristically wry humor, Chitrakar takes us behind the scenes of the changing social and class landscapes of his beloved city, one painting at a time.
—with Rohan Sengupta, Ihaab Syed, and Nikita Shah.
For more information see: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bhaskarchitrakar
Retouch
(2022. 18 min. USA. English with English, Spanish, and Hindi subtitles)
Distributor: NYU Program in Culture & Media
How do the celebrities depicted in glossy magazines achieve glowing skin and “perfect” bodies? This short documentary sheds light on the highly covert world of professional image editing. Featuring interviews and technical demonstrations with three generations of New York City-based photo “retouchers,” the film unpacks their craft and work on campaigns for fashion brands such as Valentino and Dior, and celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Natalie Portman, and Salma Hayek. As beauty standards evolve to embrace more “natural” looks and greater diversity, Retouch asks why retouching persists, highlighting the growing moral tensions between retouchers, their advertising clients, and consumers.
For more information see: www.retouchfilm.com
