Ciné

Tune Your Ears

In this film thesis I am looking at the themes of immigration, migration, civil war, genocide and freedom's effects on self-identity. In the process of filming my four South Asian grandparents, I hope to understand their lives better, and thorough their stories grow to understand the complexities of my own identity. From Tanzania, to Goa, to Ceylon, to Vermont, and Los Angeles, their intersectional stories of struggle helped them assimilate, define themselves, hold onto their culture, and create a new home. Through the lens of understanding, this project is teaching me how to look beyond academia's promotion of scholarly evidence, and instead valuing oral histories and encouraging inter-generational conversations of self, of struggle, and of strength.

Directed and Edited by Rebecca Dharmapalan

Clothing pulled from Mars Mercantile in Berkeley CA

Featuring Abilio Colaco, Rita Colaco, Kamala Dharmapalan, D.S. Dharmapalan, Deva Rani Dharmapalan, Natalie (Mooka) Dharmapalan

Makeup

Credits:

Directed by J. Caesar @j_caesar_

Animated and Edited by Rory Brown @rory.jpg

Styling by Theo White @theowhitewine

Makeup by Rebecca Dharmapalan @dharmapalan

Hair by Keash @keashldn

Featuring:

Helene Selam Kleih @helene.selam.prosperitee

Jason Cooper @jasonsclosetofficial

Taiba Akhuetie @taibataiba

Yasser Abubeker @yasserhc