4th Edition of Sikhlens: From world premier of documentaries to gatka performance and much more

The event will witness the presence of diplomats from the Government of Canada and the UK. Canada-based author and curator Karen Dosanjh will share her experiences in documenting and filming the Hidden Histories: The Sikh Migration Path to Canada.

There will be a world premiere of two documentaries, One Beat and Hidden Histories: The Sikh Migration Path to Canada. One Beat is the story of education and free healthcare, which showcases the towering efforts of free healthcare facilities to the underprivileged and ensuring medical education facilities in the small town of Bhira, in Uttar Pradesh, by American-Sikh Bahadur Singh.

Hidden Histories: The Sikh Migration Path to Canada showcases the historic milestones of the first South Asians who migrated from India to Canada in the early 1900s.

Indian premiere of films

The Indian premiers of the following films will also be held during Sikhlens: Okra King, Children of Partition: An Oral History of Pothoharis, Tilla Jogia, Kala Singa and Jitt De Nishaan and Badlaav.

The key highlights of the event include the trailer launch of Sikhlens Publications Book – ‘The Legend of 1972 – Like Hockey & Beyond’ and the launch of Sikhlens Calendar 2023.

A day-long programme from 11 am to 9 pm will be packed with screenings related to Sikh heritage and culture, showcasing and creating awareness for Sikh-centric work from around the world with a particular focus on cultural stories related to the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora across eight countries and the high-spirited philanthropic work. Sikhlens, through its ‘Destination S’ and ‘Project S’ programmes, provides funding and filming scholarship programmes for filmmakers, both Sikh and non-Sikh, whose projects aim to bring inspiring stories about Sikh history and heritage into the world’s mainstream conversation on race, ethnic harmony, justice and spirituality.

There will be a gatka performance by Shaheed Baba Deep Singh ji Gatka Akhara in the performance segment of the festival.

An exhibition of five artists displaying more than 1,800 heritage artefacts and contemporary art at the courtyard of Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, is also planned on the day of the festival which will showcase art produced by various record-holding artists and artists with disabilities.

A dedicated pre-event cultural and literary symposium featuring 25 speakers at Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, will be held on February 24. It will cover diverse topics related to documenting Sikh history, the challenges of reporting and projection of Sikhs in mainstream journalism, expression of faith and philosophy, social responsibility of actors in playing their roles, Sanjha Punjab – Expression through poetry beyond borders and more.

Bicky Singh, founder, Sikhlens, said the festival will be showcasing the beautiful culture and heritage of Sikhs from around the world. “Our programmes have expanded since last year and we are hoping to connect with new and emerging artists from the diaspora, with more patrons to support film scholarships.”

Ojaswwee Sharma, India head and festival director, Sikhlens India, said, “Our focus this year is on the diversity of the Sikh diaspora and the inclusion of community initiatives. Entry to the festival will be free for all and would be graced by towering Sikh and international personalities.”