Tongues on Fire is proud to present an evening to celebrate the work and achievements of acclaimed British Asian film director Gurinder Chadha.

GURINDER CHADHA IN CONVERSATION WITH SATHNAM SANGHERA 

Friday 13 March [18.30] Conversation, Reception to follow
Courthouse Kempinski
In association with Women in Film and Television (WFTV)

Tongues on Fire is proud to present an evening to celebrate the work and achievements of acclaimed British Asian film director Gurinder Chadha. This intimate conversation with Gurinder will focus on the strong presence of female images and representations in her films. In addition to addressing cultural issues, Gurinder's films have broken barriers in projecting extraordinary leading female figures.

Beginning with her first documentary film, I'm British But... (1989) Gurinder uses the phenomenon of bhangra music to explore issues of identity and belonging among young British-born Asians. In 1990 she made her first dramatic short film, Nice Arrangement, concerning a British-Asian family on the morning of their daughter's wedding. This was followed by another documentary, Acting Our Age (1991), in which elderly Asians living in Southall recount their experiences of living in Britain. Gurinder's feature directorial debut, Bhaji on the Beach (1993) was an Asian feminist comedy that traced the adventures of three generations of Asian women on holiday in the vacation spot Blackpool. She followed up with What's Cooking (2000), a series of overlapping stories involving four families (Hispanic, Vietnamese, African-American, and Jewish), all preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Once again the film stresses diversity over difference through an increasingly adept mix of drama and comedy placing the focus on strong female lead characters.
Gurinder’s most commercial film to date, Bend It Like Beckham (2002), is a story of a young British Asian woman trying to pursue her ambitions as a footballer while accommodating the demands of family and tradition. In Bride and Prejudice (2004), Gurinder Jane Austen's classic tale a Bollywood twists with Aishwarya Rai. Gurinder's most recent project Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008) comedically explores the world of a precocious adolescent girl whose world focuses on procuring the perfect boyfriend, and throwing the biggest birthday bash ever.
Gurinder Chadha was born in Kenya and came to Britain with her parents in 1961. She grew up in Southall, London and studied at the University of East Anglia.


For tickets, contact Rebecca Brand (WFTV) at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or or call 020 7287 1400.
£10 earlybird before 1st March, £15 thereafter.

The Tongues on Fire IN CONVERSATION... programme aims to bring leading filmmakers and performers to centre stage for an indepth discussion. The aim of the event is to celebrate the works and achievements of the honoured guests. Join the Tongues on Fire Forum and let us know who you would like to have as future In Conversation guests.