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Community / Popular fest looks to its roots as success sparks criticism story by Zahra Dhanani / Xtra! Jun 3 1999 Nowhere in the world is there a festival like Desh Pardesh. For 12 years, South Asians from around the globe have come to talk openly about liberation from oppressive dogmas - whether it be Hindu fundamentalism or your parents forcing you to be a doctor and straight. Success, however, has brought problems. "Desh is suffering from a loss of cultural memory and grounding in the values that originally propelled it," says artist Sharon Fernandez, among the first participants at Desh (she is currently working at the Canada Council as an equity coordinator). Critics point to the creative spirit and spirited dialogue of the festival's early years. Nelson Carvello, a founding member of Khush (Toronto's South Asian queer boys club) and one of the original organizers of Desh Pardesh, says: "The first years of Desh were very political, creative, exciting and scary all at the same time!" In 1986, the Khush boys, with the help of the Gay Asians Toronto, organised an event called Salaam Toronto (Desh's predecessor) at the 519 Church Street Community Centre. "We wanted to expose our families to our realities as queer South Asians," says Carvello. "And at the same time we also wanted to expose the white gay and lesbian community to our lives in more than a tokenistic fashion. There was so much creativity and we had a lot of fun, but the vision was always about outreach - outward and inward." Carvello recalls the early years as exhilarating - and intimidating - because people at different stages in their political evolution, were giving voice to numerous points of view. He remembers one night, in particular: Sunera Thobani was screening one of her films. Afterwards, someone in the audience got up and argued that the film had no class analysis. Then others jumped up and responded with "look at your own class background and don't assume what class people are." The discussion went back and forth. Carvello remembers it to be heated and totally engaging. He says that this kind of spontaneous feedback was happening all the time. Using words like alienation and disappointment, some South Asians feel that the heat has cooled in the last three or four years. Local lesbian and long time Desh contributor, Leela Acharya, thinks that "Desh has strayed from the radical hot bed of politics and culture that it started out to be." The festival has become "clique-ish, self-indulgent," she says, by becoming a showcase of names and personalities. It's no longer a gathering place where everyone gets a chance to speak and come away with a renewed sense of hope and vision. The critique is often vigorous because Desh is more than just a festival: It means family to so many South Asian people. And not unlike family, it has had its share of sibling rivalries, totalitarian defensive parents, and even the favourite children who get all the props and attention. And just like family, all the kids keep coming back, looking for love and acceptance. Acharya laughs as she confesses: "No matter what I say, when Desh comes around every year, I buy the pass and go to everything. It is the only place where I feel like full representation of my reality is possible." "This year we are trying to create a respectful dialogue between all of the community members," says Mark Haslam, a member of the Desh programming committee and a long time contributor to the South Asian queer community. "People are at different stages when they come together at Desh. They have different vocabularies, and these vocabularies are constantly changing. Our intention is to encourage this discussion in a way that isn't alienating." Organizers have structured the festival so that there is a lot of time between events for meals and discussion. There will be a Q&A; after all the programs so that presenters and audience members can speak with each other, and the MC's are being trained to put the performances in context, while encouraging all questions and comments. Also, there is "Culturally Informed Critical Writing," a project (supported by a workshop of the same name) where all festival attendees are invited to review any program at the festival. Articles will be posted at the festival mainspace and archived for future reference. Desh organizers say they are committed to reviving the original values and politics. Haslam states that much of the responsibility also belongs to the audience. "Desh is meant to be a catalyst for discussion, and then it is up to the audience to re-interpret and re-invent the circle of meaning that they get from Desh." Part of the shift includes more integrated programming, with a move away from identity-based programs, like a women's night or a queer night. The hope is to present a more inclusive and fluid presentation of progressive South Asian voices. Desh Pardesh. $8-$10 evening programs. PWYC workshops. Thu, Jun 10-13. Various venues. (416) 340-0485.
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Zahra Dhanani
There are a lot of queer contributors an this year's Desh Pardesh festival exploring the complexities that make our lives whole. One of the more intriguing performers who'll open up the mixed bag of identity is D'Lo, a gay Sri Lankan artist and activist. She finds inspiration and support in the black, Latino, Philipino, gay and straight communities and the underground hip-hop scene in Los Angeles. In her performance work she passionately shares her realities: the genocide in Sri Lanka, loving all children as special, the limitations and restrictions of religion, the criminal injustice system, eating jellybeans, racism and interracialism, spirituality, and the passion that carries her. D'Lo's vibrant commitment to freedom exemplifies how art and creativity come to bear on politics and oppression. D'Lo performs at Buddies In Bad Times (12 Alexander) opening night at 7pm on Thu, Jun 10. (Most of the events take place at Buddies.) Other queers include local teacher and student activist Sheila Batacharya, who leads a workshop and beginners yoga class "Yoga And Decolonization" (10am to noon on Sat, Jun 12 at the 519 Church Street Community Centre). A former Torontonian now based in Vancouver, Sheila James, joins forces with the Basmati Action Group to offer an action-based workshop and panel exploring bio-piracy. James sees multi-national companies patenting life forms as the "third wave of colonization." Find out "How America Stole Basmati Rice!" (from 1pm on Fri, Jun 11 at The 519). Harvard film school graduate Nish Saran pushes the boundaries of autobiographical documentary filmmaking, with his hilarious and moving piece Summer In My Veins, his story of being tested for HIV and steeling himself to come out to the extraordinary women in his family over the course of a family vacation. (At 1pm on Fri, Jun 11 at the John Spotton Cinema, 150 John St.) The day programming features a wide variety of workshops - from dramatic screenwriting with writer/director/actor Sugith Varughese (9:30am on Thu, Jun 10), to a workshop on creative writing and social justice facilitated by Canadian writers Anar Ali, Anne Castelino and Ashok Mathur (10am on Sat, Jun 12). Some of the other highlights include internationally renowned feminist Fahmida Riaz, exiled from Pakistan for her political writing and work with the women's magazine Awaaz (3:15pm on Fri, Jun 11). In a first of its kind, architect and writer Pradeep Dalal opens up a fresh dialogue with his mixed media presentation about the experiences of Africans in India, in his workshop "India Through African Eyes" (3:30pm on Fri, Jun 11 at The 519). Dancer and author Gitanjali Kolanad performs "Walking Naked," a dance-theatre piece, including spoken word and puppets. Fleurette Fernando, of Sri Lankan parentage who grew up in the cultural mix of Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood, presents Devolution, an exploration in anthropology and urban culture, incorporating dance, music and spoken word. The young, multiracial cast mix street hip hop, house, B-boy breaking, swing, mime, and Afro-Brazilian martial arts (both, on opening night). For the first time ever, there will be children's programming: "Can You Tell Me How To Get To Deshi Street?" There'll be storytelling with authors Manjusha Pawagi and Rukshana Khan, floor painting and Indian drawing styles with Pria Mazumdar, and dancer/choreographer Hari Krishnan will lead "Simon Says: 'Do a Lotus Flower.'" These events are free and will be held at the Children's Own Museum (90 Queen's Park), from 12:30pm to 4:30pm on Fri, Jun 11. For other events and participants, look for Desh Pardesh programs at community bookstores and organizations. |
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