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It has sparked dialogue among diverse groups of people; the outcome I was hoping for.

Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Exploring the country: Sara Singh

Sara Singh is a slender, youthful-looking American-Indian who currently divides her time between India and the U.S. A photographer and painter by training, her debut film “The Sky Below” was screened at two festivals this year: The South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York City and Film South Asia in Kathmandu where it was adjudged Best Debut Film. It has been accepted at the Kara Film Festival in Karachi. The film’s New York premiere was at the Rubin Museum of Art following screenings in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh. Excerpts from an interview

Initially, the need to make the film was aesthetically motivated. I had not been there for 10 years, and wanted to work visually. This was a great way to explore more of the location where I was born and to reconnect with my family; and also an exciting way to engage with Pakistan. I showcase a number of archaeological and historical sites not only to expound on the literal desire to connect with one’s past, but also as a way to approach the subject of reflection philosophically. A nuanced, comprehensive portrait needed to emerge because most people outside the region are limited to superficial knowledge...

I have learned along the way that much, much more needs to be done to record the history, culture, and political variants of this part of the world. Pakistan is constantly presented as the base camp for worldwide terror, but there is so much more there, and people must become more aware of the richness within. For Indians, the visa restrictions and the legacy of suspicion have hindered this broader understanding.

I have spent the last five years in the film industry in New York. I have been working with the photographic medium for 20 years. My education and first love is painting and drawing. Ten years ago I held my first solo show of paintings in Mumbai. I gradually made the switch to filmmaking as a way of reaching a different audience. It is also a great opportunity to explore humanity and issues in a very different way. Ten years later, I was able to premiere my film in Bombay to a very warm reception. Perhaps I have a cultural connection with the city of Bombay....

Generally, it is pretty easy to shoot here. All my drivers were exceptional, and I believe they enjoyed exploring their region as much as I did. But, as a single woman, I certainly had my problems with men along the way in both countries.

Much of this film’s process was random, so those extraordinary unplanned moments were like lightning bolts for a filmmaker with a little or no budget. Because I travelled through some of the most dangerous regions of the world, I know that, to some extent, I am lucky to be here now. Blind faith in strangers in remote locations was the only way to accomplish some of the shooting. When I was leaving the border area of the Rann of Kutch, we were travelling under a black sky. The short yellow lines of the jeep’s headlights barely made the grade as a navigational device. To assure myself on such a remote trip with two strangers, I just stared out as the moon climbed the sky.

One beautiful afternoon, I was in a remote area shooting a field of sarson in the NWFP. A farmer approached me and told me I needed to leave because “it is danger area”. I nodded, trying to be casual, and continued to get some more shots. Again he said I needed to go. At that moment, I turned to see that my driver was trembling... a sure-sign to take my leave.