Rita Wolf
Sanjay Kak explores life with artists Rita Wolf, Parv Bancil, and Faruk and Harun Shamser of Joi Bangla Crew as they struggle for a place in the sun. Three decades after South Asians first came to Britain in the 1960s, this compelling film follows a new generation of young creatives, and examines the endless rehearsals that go into the construction of identity.
Slipstream is a 1989 post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure film. The plot has an emphasis on aviation and contains many common science-fiction themes, such as taking place in a dystopian future in which the landscape of the Earth itself has been changed and is windswept by storms of great power. There are also numerous sub-plots, such as free will and humanity amongst artificial intelligence.
Saleem, an elderly psychiatric patient, is partially paralysed and unable or unwilling to speak. When Kamala, a new student nurse, arrives, he begins to respond, encouraged by her gentle reassurance, and their common cultural identity.
A British-Pakistani man renovates a rundown laundrette with his male lover while dealing with drama within his family, the local Pakistani community, and a persistent mob of skinheads.
Cultural identity, women’s independence and the pressure to conform to British norms are the subjects of this bold and acute feature, which explores both British-Asian experience and the plight of recent immigrants. Rita Wolf (My Beautiful Laundrette), plays Majdhar, a Pakistani woman who transforms herself in London after her husband leaves her for another woman. While Majdhar feels her way towards confident self-determination, husband Afzal is torn between his heritage and his Western aspirations.
