Tag: archive

Girls On Film is back with ALL ABOUT DESIRE, the next installment in its ongoing quarterly series of provocative film and video shorts by and about women of color.  The program features a collection of experimental and narrative works that explore the nature of desire, its implications for the personal and political, and its use as a vehicle in search of self. Filmmakers will be in attendance to discuss their work. For more information about the films or future screenings in the series, please contact Jennifer at girlsonfilmseries@hotmail.com

Odissi is one of the seven main forms of Indian classical dance and reputed the most lyrical of the seven with its emphasis on liquidity of movement and graceful expression.  Rooted in the religion and customs of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, some of Odissi dates back to the second century BCE.  The Odissi tradition nearly became extinct but was revived in the 1950.  The sources for this revival were temple sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and Mahari dance, ritual dance performed by women at the temple of Jagannath.

Asako Takami

Asako Takami was born in Niigata, Japan. Takami first saw an Indian dance performance while studying Japanese traditional design at the College of Fine Arts in Tokyo.  It captured her heart and became her life, profession. Takami started her training in 1983 with Smt. Kumkum Lal and then with Padma Bibhusan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. In addition she has studied Packwaj (the drum accompanied with Odissi dance)with Guru Trinath Maharana in Delhi and Sanscrit with Dr.Masayuki Ohnishi.  For three years in the early1980, Takami also received basic training in Kathakali and Manipuri dance forms from Smt. Kang Mina, a Korean dancer of Indian dance.  Takami has taught and performed extensively throughout Japan and in US. Takami was nominated  by the Isadora Duncan Awards Committee as a finalist for the best performance in 2000. Currently she teaches Odissi dance in Bay Area.

 This film is a chilling testimony of the soldiers who fought beside Emiliano Zapata in the 1910 Mexican Revolution. Almost one hundred years later, these survivors speak of the failure of the Revolution, of today’s neoliberal governments, of the agrarian and ecological disaster threatening their country and of imminent civil war if the Zapatistas’ ideals continue to be ignored. This documentary includes the historic encounter between the members of the modern Zapatistas and the Zapatista veterans. Since the release of this film 8 of the veterans have since died. Spanish with English subtitles. Special presentation by the director Francesco Taboada Tabone. Don’t miss it.