From dak at sarai.net Thu Apr 1 13:02:32 2004 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 13:02:32 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter] Language, Culture and Urban Publics Workshop Message-ID: <200404011302.32350.dak@sarai.net> Language, Culture and Urban Publics Workshop April 2-3, 2004 Seminar Room, CSDS, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi - 54. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Programme DAY ONE [Friday, 02.04.2004] 9:30 am 11:15 am Welcome and Introduction to Workshop Panel1: VISUAL CULTURES AS URBAN PERFORMANCE Billboards, Common Sense and Language Games in Chennai, by Uma Maheshwari Kalpagam, G B Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad Likho Script Apna Apna: Aesthetics of Language and Body of the City, by Sadan Jha, Sarai, Delhi Mall Wonder, by Harini Narayan, Independent Researcher, Delhi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11:45 am to 1:30 pm Panel 2: TALKING CRIME, SUBJECTIVITY, DISABILITY Narratives of Passion Crimes, by Vasudha Nagraj, Anveshi, Hyderabad Language of Legal Subject, by Shrimoyee Nandini Ghosh, Majlis, Mumbai Representing Disability, by Anuroopa, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2:30 pm to 4:15 pm Panel 3: KASHMIR: THE HISTORY AND THE CONTEMPORARY On the History and Politics of Kashmiri Language, by Sanaullah Mir, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh A Language of One's Own? The Poetics and Politics of the Kashmiri Language, by Ananya Jahanara Kabir, University of Leeds, UK Militarising the Narrative in Kashmir, by Basharat Peer, Journalist, Kashmir ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4:45 pm to 6:30 pm Film American Splendor (2003), Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Screening curated by Sarnath Banerjee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DAY TWO [Saturday, 03.04.2004] 9:30 am to 11:15 am Panel 1: PRINT CULTURES IN HISTORY Urban Print Cultures and Children's Periodicals in early 20th Century North India, by Nandini Chandra, Delhi University From Palm Leaves to Printed Page: Standardisation of Oriya in late 19th and early 20th century, by Pragati Mohapatra, Delhi University Language in City, Court and Country: Co-optations of Women's Speech in early Urdu Poetry, by Carla Petievich, Mont Clair University, New Jersey, USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11:45 am to 1:15 pm Panel 2: FILMSPEAK Unheroic Hero: The Tramp and the City in the Movies of Charles Chaplin, by Simran Chadha, Delhi University The Stranger Called Me: Sa'adat Hasan Manto's short story & Farida Mehta's film Kali Salwar, by Shireen Mirza, CSCS, Bangalore --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2:15 pm to 4:15 pm Panel 3: URBAN ORAL CULTURES AND ADAPTATIONS Private Diseases: the Depleting Stock of the Unspeakable in Delhi, by Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Sarai, Delhi The Collective Narrative, by Conrado Tostado, Poet, Mexico Presention of Graphic Novel, Corridor, by Sarnath Banerjee, Artist, Delhi --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4:45 pm to 6:15 pm Panel 4: NEW TECHNOLOGIES: CONTROL, CONFLICT AND INNOVATION ATM : From Automatic Teller Machines to Automatic Telling Machines, by Kristoffer Gansing, K3 School of Art and Media, Sweden and Linda Hilfling, Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau, Copenhagen, Denmark Styles of Engagement, Sites of Control: Call Centres as Performance Space in Delhi, by Taha Mehmood and Iram Ghufran, MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6:30 pm A Terrible Beauty Is Born Solo Performance by Arjun Raina ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From dak at sarai.net Sat Apr 3 13:16:27 2004 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 13:16:27 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter] APRIL - MAY 2004 Message-ID: <200404031316.27513.dak@sarai.net> CONTENTS: TALK @ SARAI 7/4 The Delhi Seminar Series: On the Margins of Delhi - An Archaeological Perspective, by Nayanjot Lahiri, University of Delhi FILM @ SARAI 16/4 My Brothers and Sisters [Roots and Branches], directed by Yu Zhong FILM @ SARAI: Classics of World Cinema Curtain Raiser to Film Studies Lecture Series 23/4 M, directed by Fritz Lang 30/4 Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles 7/5 Ran, directed by Akira Kurosawa 14/5 Dancer in the Dark, directed by Lars Von Trier ANNOUNCEMENT Call for Application: Introduction to Film Studies Lecture Series -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TALK @ SARAI Wednesday, April 7, 3:30 pm URBAN CULTURES & POLITICS: THE DELHI SEMINAR SERIES On the Margins of Delhi: An Archaeological Perspective Nayanjot Lahiri, University of Delhi Nayanjot Lahiri teaches Archaeology at the Department of History at Delhi University. She is the author of 'Pre-Ahom Assam and The Archaeology of the Indian Trade Routes', and editor of 'The Decline and Fall of the Indus Civilization' among other volumes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FILM @ SARAI: China-India Intercultural Film Festival Organised as part of the China-India Intercultural Film Festival in collaboration with Samvad India Foundation The China-India Intercultural Film Festival, from April 6th to 21st 2004, is an attempt to enhance the mutual understanding between Chinese and Indian peoples through an exchange of popular cinema. The festival will be in two parts, first featuring the Festival of Indian films from April 6th-12th in Guangzhou, China, and the Festival of Chinese Films April 15th-21st in New Delhi, India. Sarai will screen one film as part of this festival. Friday, April 16, 2004, 4:30 pm My Brothers and Sisters [Roots and Branches] (2001), 95 minutes Directed by Yu Zhong Twenty years ago, a blizzard made four children homeless orphans. Yiku, the sensible eldest brother, reluctantly decided to have the younger brother and sisters adopted by three kindhearted families so that the children could receive good care and thus live comfortably. Twenty years later Sitian (Gigi Leung), the eldest sister who left for the States with her adoptive parents, has become a famous orchestral conductor and will give her first concert in her motherland. She takes this opportunity to set out on a journey to look for her long-separated brothers and sister. The biggest box-office smash of the year in Mainland China is a tearjerker about parents, children, brothers, and sisters and a touching saga of a family re-union. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FILM @ SARAI: Classics of World Cinema Curtain Raiser to Film Studies Lecture Series As a run-up to the 'Introduction to Film Studies Lecture Series' we screen four landmark films from around the world on four consecutive Fridays in April and May. Friday, April 23, 2004. 4:30 pm M (1931), 101 minutes Directed by Fritz Lang, Germany Fritz Lang's first sound film was based on the real-life manhunt for the Dusseldorf child killer Peter Kurten, here played with extraordinary intensity and pathos by Peter Lorre. The police and criminal underworld join forces to end this disruption to their traditional activities and the murderer is eventually subjected to an illegitimate trial. Originally titled "Morder Unter Uns" ("Murderers Among Us"), this tale of moral depravity serves not just as an allegory for the need of justice for all, but as an ominous foreshadowing of the sort of societal hysteria that leads to cultural witch hunts. Lang's expressionistic eye plunges into the dark cityscape of Berlin, as he follows the killer whistling down the street, seducing small children with toys and candy, and eventually fleeing for his life. A city paralyzed by fear, and a vast criminal underground network of blind beggars, thieves and murderers, as well as an unforgettable climax are all rendered in Lang's painterly cinematography of sharp angles, dark corners and breakneck pacing. Lang uses sound to innovative effect - it is the means by which the killer is caught - and the bleakness of the film anticipates much of his later American work as well as reflecting the last days of the Weimar Republic and the beginnings of the Nazi state. Friday, April 30, 2004. 4:30 pm Citizen Kane (1941), 119 minutes Directed by Orson Welles Dazzlingly inventive, technically breathtaking, 'Citizen Kane' reinvented the way stories could be told in the cinema, and set a standard generations of film-makers have since aspired to. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castle-like refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a composite of Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst - so much so that Hearst tried to have the film suppressed. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep focus and deep shadow cinematography by Gregg Toland; the discontinuous narrative, relying heavily on flashbacks and newsreel footage propelled by a script largely written by Herman L. Mankiewicz; the innovative use of sound and score (sound by Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart, music composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann); and the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles' Mercury Theatre (featuring the film debuts of, among others, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead). The film is essential viewing, one of the most influential films in cinema history along with 'The Birth of a Nation' (D W Griffith, 1915). Friday, May 7, 2004. 4:30 pm Ran (1985), 160 minutes Directed by Akira Kurosawa, Japan For his 27th film, the "sensei" of Japanese cinema, Akira Kurosawa, transposes Shakespeare's 'King Lear' to feudal Japan. 'Ran', which translates as "chaos" or "turmoil," is the tragic tale of Lord Hidetora, a warlord who decides to divide his empire among his three sons on the eve of his 70th birthday. However, Hidetora's youngest and most compassionate son, Saburo, defiantly objects to this hasty decision and is disowned by the proud, stubborn ruler. Once the two eldest sons take control of the empire, they quickly turn on their father and begin vying for total control over the land. As Hidetora is banished from his own kingdom in a bloody battle, he must confront the consequences of his violent, ruthless past. Ten years in the making, 'Ran' represents the culmination of Kurosawa's career by revisiting his skill at adapting Shakespeare, as evidenced in 'Throne of Blood', and displaying the cinematic splendor of his other landmark films, 'Seven Samurai' and 'Rashomon'. With its magnificent costumes, breathtaking settings, and amazingly photographed battle sequences, the film is truly stunning. An epic on the grandest of scales, 'Ran' is not only one of Kurosawa's finest films, it is a glorious masterpiece of Japanese cinema. Friday, May 14, 2004. 4:30 pm Dancer in the Dark (2000), 140 minutes Directed by Lars Von Trier, Denmark Lars Von Trier's 'Dancer in the Dark' is a musical tragedy that narrates a powerful story of a mother's devotion and the cruelty of fate. It is a gripping and haunting examination of a miscarriage of justice and the myth underpinning the "American Dream". The story concerns Selma (Björk), a Czech immigrant and single mother living in 1964 Washington State with her 12-year-old son, Gene (Vladan Kostic). On the verge of blindness, Selma spends her days working in a factory, as well as performing other odd jobs, in order to save up enough money to pay for an operation that will cure Gene of the same disease. To pass time, Selma fantasizes that her own life is a musical, one in which her friends join her in sweeping song-and-dance routines. Music and the movies are Selma's refuge from the guilt she feels for having a child who also carries the same disease. During the course of the film, Selma confronts a desperate neighbor, Bill (David Morse) whose response to her leads to catastrophic consequences for everyone involved. 'Dancer in the Dark' is an unrelenting film that combines elements traditionally associated with the musical and the documentary to explore the melodramatic power of excess in a highly unusual and provocative drama about motherhood and martyrdom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENT INTRODUCTION TO FILM STUDIES Lecture series Offered by the Sarai Programme, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi May 17 - 28, 2004 Cinema has arguably been the most powerful cultural phenomenon of the twentieth century. As mass public culture, art practice, vehicle of propaganda and documentary reflection, it has been integral to the development of modern societies. As an apparatus of sense perception, it has been crucial, along with other technologies of perception, communication and transportation, in the transformation of human subjectivity. This lecture series is designed to introduce the various approaches that have been developed to understand this complex cultural form. The lectures will provide an understanding of film theory, including the earlier classical theories, linguistic and psychoanalytical approaches and other forms of cultural theory. There will also be a focus on the various methods used to analyse films, from the analysis of narrative formats, genres and film styles to archival and empirical studies. Film screenings will provide a sense of the variety of cinematic cultures and practices, and their history. The series comprises illustrated lectures, film screenings and discussions. Eligibility: The series is for students (continuing BA students and upwards), teachers, academics, film and media practitioners, as well as film enthusiasts. There are limited seats for the course. Applications should be submitted along with a brief curriculum-vitae, and a one page statement on why the applicant is interested in attending the course. Applications should be mailed to me at ranita at sarai.net Course fee: Rs. 2000/-, including reading materials and daily lunch and refreshments. Last date for applications: May 10, 2004 Cheers, Ranita Chatterjee The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 Tel: (+91) 11 23960040 (+91) 11 23942199, ext 307 Fax: (+91) 11 23943450 www.sarai.net All programmes are held at the Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi -110054. From dak at sarai.net Thu Apr 15 19:44:51 2004 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 19:44:51 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter] Positions Available Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20040415190830.00a7f140@wheresmymailserver.com> SARAI-CSDS, DELHI Call for applications: 1) DOCUMENTATION and CONTENT EDITOR 2) OFFICE MANAGER --------------------- 1) APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR THE POST OF DOCUMENTATION and CONTENT EDITOR AT SARAI-CSDS, DELHI The Sarai programme of the CSDS is looking for applications for the position of Documentation and Content Editor (print and electronic). Documentation and Content Editor will be in charge of documentation of Sarai events, write reports for a wider public, conduct email and audio interviews with speakers and guests at Sarai, transcribe and make these interviews publicly available and update texts on Sarai websites to reflect new events as well as edit the monthly Sarai newsletter. The person will act as an assistant to the editorial collective for the Sarai Readers and will be responsible for the copy editing of the Sarai Readers and any other Sarai publications in English. He/She will also assist in the reviews as well as handle correspondence with contributors, publication enquiries etc. The person would also be expected to conceptualise and plan new publications (print and electronic). The work requires excellent command over the English language, comfort with team work in a challenging intellectual and creative environment, capacity to work flexible hours when required to meet production deadlines, willingness to attend to detail and processes and an active, curious and intellectually agile mind. Previous experience in editing and publishing related work, and a background in social science and/or literature is desirable, though not essential. Familiarity with Print Publishing and Layout design is also desirable. The position does not entail a permanent post at Sarai or with CSDS. The applicant who is selected will be offered an annual contract, subject to renewal on the basis of periodic valuations. The applicant can expect a competitive renumeration. The selected applicant must be resident in Delhi during the course of their contract with Sarai. Please send an application that includes a one-page statement seeing how they see themselves working as a PDC Editor, and a CV by email to applications at sarai.net by May 15th, 2004. Short listed candidates will be invited for an interview in early June 2004. Send either plain text or rtf files only. -------------- 2) APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR THE POST OF OFFICE MANAGER, AT SARAI-CSDS, DELHI The Sarai programme of the CSDS is looking for applications for the position of Office Manager for the programme. We are looking for person with a diploma/certificate in office management/ secretarial skills from a recognized institution, with good communication skills, and ability to work in a multi tasked manner in a challenging work environment. The candidate should be proficient in English (typing, writing, reading and speaking) and fluent in Hindi (speaking and reading). Primarily, the task of the office manager will be to perform secretarial functions for the Sarai programme and be responsible for the following: - Arranging meetings, maintaining minutes, typing documents, maintaining files and records, arranging travel (local, national and international), dealing with routine correspondence and assisting in the writing of reports. Maintenance of contacts and addresses database, sending out mailers for events and general event publicity and management. Additionally the candidate will be required to deal with queries on the telephone, by e-mail and in person, assist with logistics of Sarai public events and supervise maintenance of Sarai guest accommodation facilities. The position does not entail a permanent post at Sarai or with CSDS. The applicant who is selected will be offered an annual contract, subject to renewal on the basis of periodic evaluations. The applicant can expect a competitive remuneration. Please send an application that includes a CV by email to applications at sarai.net by May 15th, 2004. Short listed candidates will be invited for an interview in early June 2004. Send either plain text or rtf files only. From dak at sarai.net Fri Apr 16 00:58:28 2004 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 00:58:28 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter] Positions Available Message-ID: <5.0.2.1.2.20040416005758.00a8a538@wheresmymailserver.com> SARAI-CSDS, DELHI Call for applications: 1) DOCUMENTATION and CONTENT EDITOR 2) OFFICE MANAGER --------------------- 1) APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR THE POST OF DOCUMENTATION and CONTENT EDITOR AT SARAI-CSDS, DELHI The Sarai programme of the CSDS is looking for applications for the position of Documentation and Content Editor (print and electronic). Documentation and Content Editor will be in charge of documentation of Sarai events, write reports for a wider public, conduct email and audio interviews with speakers and guests at Sarai, transcribe and make these interviews publicly available and update texts on Sarai websites to reflect new events as well as edit the monthly Sarai newsletter. The person will act as an assistant to the editorial collective for the Sarai Readers and will be responsible for the copy editing of the Sarai Readers and any other Sarai publications in English. He/She will also assist in the reviews as well as handle correspondence with contributors, publication enquiries etc. The person would also be expected to conceptualise and plan new publications (print and electronic). The work requires excellent command over the English language, comfort with team work in a challenging intellectual and creative environment, capacity to work flexible hours when required to meet production deadlines, willingness to attend to detail and processes and an active, curious and intellectually agile mind. Previous experience in editing and publishing related work, and a background in social science and/or literature is desirable, though not essential. Familiarity with Print Publishing and Layout design is also desirable. The position does not entail a permanent post at Sarai or with CSDS. The applicant who is selected will be offered an annual contract, subject to renewal on the basis of periodic valuations. The applicant can expect a competitive renumeration. The selected applicant must be resident in Delhi during the course of their contract with Sarai. Please send an application that includes a one-page statement seeing how they see themselves working as a PDC Editor, and a CV by email to applications at sarai.net by May 15th, 2004. Short listed candidates will be invited for an interview in early June 2004. Send either plain text or rtf files only. -------------- 2) APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR THE POST OF OFFICE MANAGER, AT SARAI-CSDS, DELHI The Sarai programme of the CSDS is looking for applications for the position of Office Manager for the programme. We are looking for person with a diploma/certificate in office management/ secretarial skills from a recognized institution, with good communication skills, and ability to work in a multi tasked manner in a challenging work environment. The candidate should be proficient in English (typing, writing, reading and speaking) and fluent in Hindi (speaking and reading). Primarily, the task of the office manager will be to perform secretarial functions for the Sarai programme and be responsible for the following: - Arranging meetings, maintaining minutes, typing documents, maintaining files and records, arranging travel (local, national and international), dealing with routine correspondence and assisting in the writing of reports. Maintenance of contacts and addresses database, sending out mailers for events and general event publicity and management. Additionally the candidate will be required to deal with queries on the telephone, by e-mail and in person, assist with logistics of Sarai public events and supervise maintenance of Sarai guest accommodation facilities. The position does not entail a permanent post at Sarai or with CSDS. The applicant who is selected will be offered an annual contract, subject to renewal on the basis of periodic evaluations. The applicant can expect a competitive remuneration. Please send an application that includes a CV by email to applications at sarai.net by May 15th, 2004. Short listed candidates will be invited for an interview in early June 2004. Send either plain text or rtf files only. From dak at sarai.net Thu Apr 22 16:49:45 2004 From: dak at sarai.net (The Sarai Programme) Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 16:49:45 +0530 Subject: [Sarai Newsletter] Call for Applications: Introduction to Film Studies Lecture Series Message-ID: <200404221649.45129.dak@sarai.net> INTRODUCTION TO FILM STUDIES Lecture series Offered by the Sarai Programme, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi May 17 - 28, 2004 Cinema has arguably been the most powerful cultural phenomenon of the twentieth century. As mass public culture, art practice, vehicle of propaganda and documentary reflection, it has been integral to the development of modern societies. As an apparatus of sense perception it has been crucial, along with other technologies of perception, communication and transportation in the transformation of human subjectivity. This lecture series is designed to introduce the various approaches that have been developed to understand this complex cultural form. The lectures will provide an understanding of film theory, including the earlier classical theories, linguistic and psychoanalytical approaches and other forms of cultural theory. There will also be a focus on the various methods used to analyse films, from the analysis of narrative formats, genres and film styles to archival and empirical studies. Film screenings will provide a sense of the variety of cinematic cultures and practices and their history. The series comprises illustrated lectures, film screenings and discussions. Eligibility: The series is for students (continuing BA students and upwards), teachers, academics, film and media practitioners, as well as film enthusiasts. Application: There are limited seats for the course. Applications should be submitted along with a brief curriculum-vitae, and a one page statement on why the applicant is interested in attending the course. Applications should be mailed to ranita at sarai.net Selected candidates will be informed by email. Course fee: Rs. 2000/-, including reading materials, daily lunch and refreshments. Last date for applications: May 10, 2004 -- Ranita Chatterjee Programme Coordinator The Sarai Programme Centre for the Study of Developing Societies 29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054 Tel: (+91) 11 23960040 (+91) 11 23942199, ext 307 Fax: (+91) 11 23943450 www.sarai.net