COMING UP: NOVEMBER 20 - December 4
Experience the Delights of a True Bollywood Film at the Sonoma Film Institute
The Sonoma Film Institute invites the community to explore Bollywood culture with the screening of "Kal Ho Naa Ho" ("Tomorrow May Never Come") on Fri., Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. and again on Sun., Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. in Warren Auditorium, Ives 101.
"Most people in America still don't know what a Bollywood film is," says Ajay Gehlawat (Hutchins) who is an expert on Third World cinema and pop culture and genre studies. "This trend of Bollywood becoming more Westernized in style blurs the line of what Bollywood is. There are increasingly MTV-style song and dance sequences and increasingly Western culture in their clothing. It's like a house of mirrors. The name itself is a reference to Hollywood. Then you have films like "Slumdog Millionaire" that are referencing Bollywood," says Gehlawat.
However, "Kal Ho Naa Ho" is the genuine article. The story of two men who fall in love with the same troubled women allows for fantastic dance and song sequences and a hyper-real use of landscape. But while true to its roots, "Kal Ho Naa Ho" is also evidence that the convergence of cinema goes both ways. Filmed entirely on location in the cosmopolitan city of New York, "Kal Ho Naa Ho" was an early player in the trend of featuring non-resident Indians in Bollywood films. For more information on SFI or a complete list of upcoming films, visit the SFI website.
"Schindler, The Exhibition" Echoes Everyman Heroics
A relevant history lesson about individual responsibility in the prevention of genocide, supported by the Sonoma State University School of Social Sciences Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, is open to the public through Dec. 13 as the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum presents "Schindler, The Exhibition" in the century-old Carnegie Library building at 20 4th St. in the historic downtown area.
The exhibition, organized and circulated by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. shows in the only Northern California engagement to date through the efforts of the Petaluma Museum Association's new president, Joe Noriel and unstinting help from the SSU Center, especially Director Myrna Goodman and School of Social Sciences Dean Elaine Leeder.
The exhibit is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. It tells the inspirational story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman credited with saving the lives of more than 1,000 Polish Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
In addition the financial and logistical support provided by the SSU School of Social Sciences, other community organizations and the Museum prompted the City of Petaluma to recognize by special proclamation Nov. 9 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in "honor of the survivors, rescuers and liberators and to urge all residents to overcome intolerance and indifference through learning and remembrance," according to Noriel. The Nov. 9 date commemorated the 71st anniversary of "Kristallnacht," or the "Night of the Broken Glass," which represents the date in 1938 generally recognized as the start of the Holocaust, when the Nazis unleashed a wave of organized violence against Germany's Jews.
Among the special events and displays taking place at the Museum in conjunction with the exhibition, are the "Holocaust Survivor Recollections," which feature special presentations by area survivors with compelling stories to share. The series features Ruth Gumpel on Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. and Al and Suzanne Batzdorff on Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. On Nov. 22 at 2 p.m., the Harmonia Schvesters present traditional music. In addition to the survivor presentations, the supporting organizations aided Noriel in expanding the exhibit to include period music and Holocaust art. Artifacts on display include armbands, newspapers, apparel and artwork created by survivors and children of the Holocaust. Tours for school groups are also available.
For more information about "Schindler, The Exhibition" and the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, call (707) 778-4398 or visit the website. To learn more about the SSU Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, visit their website.
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