cinematic and cultural heritage sculpted by London’s South Asian communities across time and space
Led by Tongues on Fire in collaboration with Queen Mary, University of London. The Heritage Team carried out a series of interviews with the public asking them to share on camera their earliest memories of Indian cinema as well as the enduring influence of Indian cinema in their lives.
The result was Movies, Memories, Magic, a documentary film exploring the dynamic relationship that the British South Asian diaspora has with Indian cinema. The film paints a vibrant picture of how iconic South Asian films were screened in renowned cinema halls in London, from the winding alleyways of Brick Lane to the bustling streets of Southall, galvanised cultural conversations and shaped trends in music, food, fashion and politics. From cinema stalwarts such as Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, film classics such as Mother India and Sholay and the razzmatazz of Bollywood, to the bold and bravura brand of new Indian Indie cinema, the film’s inter-generational contributors reminisce about how cinema spaces and viewing practices have transformed over time. This film is a testament to how the magic of movies and the indelible memories they inscribe have catalysed a hyphenated cultural identity – rooted in local London and blended with global South Asian culture.
In addition to the heritage documentary, a unique exhibition entitled “Memories Through Cinema” was curated, showcasing artefacts that had been collated from the general public. The exhibition compliments the documentary by taking audiences through a visual narrative of the history of Indian cinema and cinema going from the perspective of the general public living in the UK.
In November 2018 the project proudly received a Queen Mary University of London Community Engagement Award. Movies, Memories, Magic has been screened to communities across the UK and internationally in India, Dubai and South Africa.
