MISTAKEN IDENTITY: FIRST FILM-MADE FOR TV ON SIKH AMERICANS

1ST-EVER FILM-MADE-FOR-TV PROGRAM ON SIKH AMERICANS AFTER 9/11/2001

DVD AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN AMERICA

TITLE: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America"

WLWD 2000 Inc. announced the US and worldwide release of the TV program: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America" which took nine months to complete, involving extensive travel and filming on locations across the country from NY/NJ/CT to Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH, to California (San Francisco, Yuba City, Palo Alto to Los Angeles, etc). Negotiations are underway with PBS, BBC, STAR-TV and SONY, etc. to broadcast the program during the month of November, when Sikhs celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak - founder of Sikhism over 500 years ago.


The objective is to inform and educate mainstream Americans and non-Sikhs in the USA and worldwide -- Who are Sikhs, What is Sikhism and the economic contribution of Sikh Americans since 1889, when the first immigrants arrived in California - over 100 years ago.


The documentary TV program goes beyond the shock and common wrath that consumed us all in the immediate aftermath of September 11. In the face of such adversity, the cherished ideals (liberty and freedom of speech, etc.) that guard the cornerstones of American society became wounded by victimization of fellow Americans - demonizing those who simply looked like the terrorists who had perpetrated the heinous crimes.


It tells the visual story of Sikhs in America in a post September 11 America, through the eyes of 21-year old Amanda Gesine, host and investigative journalist, who coincidentally, discovers her Sikh American neighbors, for the first time. A college student at George Washington University in DC, she conceived the idea at a candlelight vigilance, as WLWD 2000's R & D pitched for a Asian American WTC story.


Talking with young Sikhs her own age, she learns about the sudden racial profiling, verbal abuse and physical assaults, simply because they wore turbans and beards. Together, they discussed that this was due to sheer ignorance and fear of fellow Americans. She concluded that it was the demonization of the turban and the beard that created the huge backlash against Sikh Americans. She learned that it was young America - men who rushed around waving baseball bats and throwing beer cans at Sikh taxi drivers and old turbaned Sikh men. Her role was crucial in reaching out for more understanding among her own younger generation.


With Amanda's initiation, the TV program spotlights and discusses the experiences of Sikhs in America - one ethnic group that makes up a small fragment of the American population. "MISTAKEN IDENTITY" charts her personal journey - demystifying the enigma of Sikh Americans and shares the hopes and desires of Americans from all ethnic backgrounds who seek to close ranks against bigotry and hatred and make a united stand against terrorism.


The important ethos of this TV program does not pertain to an exclusive American audience. In fact, it speaks to global TV viewers who appreciate the impact of East and West cultures (both in socio-economic terms and in life style/material terms) - the key demographic that TV advertisers and corporate sponsors seek to target.


Produced and directed by Vinanti Sarkar, President of WLWD 2000 Inc. (a boutique digital TV production company) headquartered in midtown New York. Philip Marshall, 4-time Emmy Award winning editor was hired to take over 36-40 hours of content footage with a strong script, targeting mainstream America and non-Sikhs.

WLWD 2000 Inc. received support from the Sikhs of Yuba City who understood the importance of the TV program, President, Dr. Narinder Singh Bajwa and members of the Punjabi American Heritage Society and the Yuba City Gurdwara. Executive Producer, Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang, M.D. believed the program as a "wake up call", with support from Teji "Tony" Singh, Parry Singh and K.P. Singh, Sikh Educational; Cultural Society of Indianapolis/Avtar Singh, Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis. The final edit was made possible by Vikram Chatwal, Producer and Executive Producers: Shining Sung (Taiwanese American), Shahid Hussain (Pakistani), with Ava Chien (Chinese American) sending the TV program for review to CCTV in mainland China.

MISTAKE IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICAN NEIGHBORS

Seol Times, South Korea (Review)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Have you heard or seen the digital film: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Discovering Sikh Neighbors" - A 9/11 Story? Have you seen the DVD film — winner of three first prize awards for documentary, directing and acting?

It is the first film produced for mainstream North America, UK and EU and part of a series of "getting to know the cultural and religious backgrounds of multicultural ethnic minority neighbors" in today's pluralistic society worldwide.

Since its official distribution release, filmmaker Vinanti Sarkar has been organizing joint fundraising screenings of MISTAKEN IDENTITY across the USA, Canada, UK and EU and India as part of a global media event, inviting partners to promote cultural and religious diversity in America.

The demand has been incredible !!! regular demand from university libraries, college and school screenings. She is now working on JAIN ENLIGHTENMENT — A Way of Life" to introduce Ahimsa (Non-Violence), compassion, forgiveness and peace.

When PBS requested that we give the one hour TV program for "free," we moved across the USA and Canada successfully selling DVDs at the institutional Library Distribution rate of $250.00. for the classroom and auditorium teaching ethnic media, multicultural communications, divinity and comparative religions, modern and Asian anthropology, South Asian studies, human rights, tolerance, racial equality, etc., and strongly recommended for the attention of the Librarian. Most partners held fundraisers for their departments as a celebration of cultural diversity !

We have had great demand for screenings of MISTAKEN IDENTITY as "A Celebration of Cultural Diversity" from mainstream British viewers, across the UK and EU. Especially, in places where there are large communities of British Sikhs.

It is a documentary film anchored by 22-year old Amanda Gesine, from Greenwich, CT, who discovers her Sikh neighbors after 9/11 for the first time. She never had a Sikh friend in school or college and strongly felt that racial profiling starts with ignorance and fear.

The film has had a strong impact on informing and educating the non-Sikh population in North America (US and Canada) where screenings demanded Q & A, making the event into a social and cultural ethnic study on South Asia and Sikhs.

We won three first prize awards at American Film Festivals and had the honor of being screened at the National Arts Club, Harvard University's Centre for World Religions and Wharton School at PENN University, to mention a few. It was successfully screened at the House of Commons in Ottawa, Canada to commemorate the 5th anniversary of 9/11.

We received a request for its India premiere to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 in New Delhi, India with a private screening in Parliament House and on the national TV DOORDARSHAN (estimated over 600 million daily viewers during prime time) on 11 September 2008.

Kathy Phillips, Student at California State University, Chico: "I was so glad to receive your film. I was preparing a presentation for one of my college courses for future school teachers entitled Equity in Education and my topic was on the Sikhs in Yuba City (I live nearby) and was surprised that there was very little video available regarding the Sikhs.

"I could only find two videos and they were lackluster and dated (1980s). Your film not only gave wonderful information regarding immigration and the Sikh religion, it also gave insight to the backlash of 9/11. My teacher was also impressed with the film and is ordering a copy for herself to use in future classes. This film is a valuable investment for me to use in the years to come as teacher for my Sikh and non-Sikh students"

Buy a copy of the DVD as your personal collection -- Visit our website:www.globalfilmlinks.com for more information where you can review 3 min of the film via streaming video. We are inviting organizations who believe in the celebration of cultural diversity to organize joint-fundraisers in their countries as part of our "global media event." We are available 24/7 at globalfilmlinks@earthlink.net or Phone : 212-759-4568 (New York, USA)

Filmmaker "Vinanti Sarkar" can be Google and Yahoo websites including MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America, but it does not emphasize her academic qualifications: two MA degrees in Communications and Instructional Technology from Columbia University in New York and an ABD (All But the Defense) for the doctoral thesis, having developed a unique film techniques in teaching large illiterate populations by adapting the scripts with their life-skills and producing dramatic TV programs.

Contact: Ms Vinanti Sarkar, Producer & Director MISTAKEN IDENTITY TV Series @ Global Cultural Diversity Films, (GCDF) Inc., 425 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-759-4568 Email: vsarkar1@earthlink.net Visit our website: www.globalfilmlinks.com

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICANS - A 9/11 STORY

WINNER OF THREE FIRST PRIZE AWARDS AT AMERICAN FILM FESITVALS

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICAN NEIGHBORS - A 9/11 STORY

Film Synopsis

“MISTAKEN IDENTITY: A 9/11 Story” focuses on actress/anchorwoman, 21-years old Amanda Gesine from Greenwich, CT, as she discovers her Sikh American neighbors after the Attack on America since September 11, 2001.

She never had a Sikh friend in her private schools or college. But was outraged when she read (six days after 9/11) how all ages of Sikh American men, women and children were being racially profiled, verbally abused and physically attacked, shot and killed, simply because they wore turbans and beards.

At midnight, she phoned Director Vinanti Sarkar and insisted that we produce a film as she was horrified how Americans were so naive, mistaking their Sikh Americans neighbors for terrorists, simply because they wore turbans and beards and resembled Bin La Din.

Working with the film crew, Amanda visited schools, colleges, family homes and business houses to discover for herself "Who are Sikhs ? What is Sikhism ? and What Sikh Americans have contributed to the American economy since they arrived in the USA in the 1880s.

From November 2001 to April 2002, she worked hard and within six months of its official distribution release, the film entered three Ameican Film Festivals in Alabama, Texas, LA-Hollywood and won three (3) first prize awards !!!

What makes "MISTAKEN IDENTITY A 911 Story" so different from other films on 9/11 ? It was the need for promoting and celebrating ethnic cultural diversity with the idealistic kind of sensitivity of Young America. 

But then one or two PBS producers requested the one hour made-for-TV colored film be broadcast for "free," Executive Producer/ Director Vinanti Sarkar knew that PBS paid their own Judeo-Christian producers $250,000 for a one hour program.  If the film was broadcast "for free" on national Public TV, someone (inhouse producer) could sell the one hour program for $1,000 to 440 PBS networks, and pocket over $440,000, excluding the sale of DVDs and other ancillaries (T-shirts, turbans, etc).

Instead, the film was purchased as an institutional product to major university, public and private libraries and individuals interested in "cultural diveristy" !  It is available for DVD sale at email: globalfilmlinks@earthlink.net or Tel: 1-212-759-4568. 

WHY PRODUCE MISTAKEN IDENTITY: SIKHS IN AMERICA ?

WHO WAS AMANDA GESINE, ACHORWOMAN & PRODUCER ?

"MISTAKEN IDENTITY ... Discovering SIKH AMERICANS" (Color made-for-TV 56 min) opens with full portait faced 21-year old Amanda Gesine WINKLEVOSS saying: "I knew nothing about ... about Sikhs ..." and represents mainstream America living behind the white picket fence ... apart from the influx of recent ethnic immigrant majority.of the 60s She represented America that stood stunned after 9/11, wondering ... questioning ... demanding to know - how anyone in the world could hate their country so much !

She was from Greenwich, CT, and had stood stunned on New York's Park Avenue watching the smokey, horrific terrorist attack in a distance on that day. What had America done that was so terrible, that strangers attacked her country so mercilessly ... leaving so many innocent people to die. On TV networks people were filmed jumping out from the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center.

National and international TV networks and media filled the screens and front pages with highlights of the attacks in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

From Day 1, there were attacks on Sikhs began, mistaken for terrorists, simply because they wore turbans and beards for religious reasons . Scenes of young American men throwing beer bottles at turbaned taxi drivers (estimated 32% of South Asians who drive NY cabs), including beating up old men in turbans with baseball bats.

On Day 3, the film crew attended the candle light vigilance at Union Square where Amanda met and discussed what was happening with three to four Sikh men and women. The young girl, born in America, shared her story. She learned how Sikhs of different ages were being singled out because Americans blamed them for their resemblance to the suspected Arab perpetrators.

Hate crimes were being committed daily, as Amanda read of how turbaned Swaran Kaur Bhullar, 51-year-old mother of three, stopped at a red light. Two men on motorcycles yanked open her door and shouted, "We're going to slash your throat" and stabbed her head twice, leaving her for dead in San Diego, CA, one of the first 36 suspected "hate" crimes reported by the police.

Within days of 9/11, 290 crimes and other assaults on Sikh Americans were documented nationwide - a trend towards racial distrimination, verbal abuse and physical assaults and killings on people who wore turbans and beards - a misguided media portrayal which hit the Sikh community as the mistaken identities.

Amanda recalled the story of how as the first twin tower collapsed on 11 September, surgical resident, Dr. Nijher Singh, from Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn rushed to the scene, scavenging supplies from abandoned ambulances. He set up the first triage center at Ground Zero and organized the makeshift morgue.

Next day, American citizen Nijher ran his first public survival errand in Manhattan. Everyone stared at his turban and whispered: "There goes one of them now ." Someone yelled, "Go home to your country." He stood numb, because the day before he had worked a 24 hours shift and not a single word was uttered.

It became Amanda's mission to explain to Americans who Sikhs really were. It was her goal to make the film and have it broadcast on PBS throughout the USA. But at this point, she herself knew nothing about Sikhs and Sikhism and the film shows her fascinating journey into discovering her Sikh neighbors.

More information check out website: http://www.cultural-diversity.co.uk

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: A 9/11 Story

UNITED WE STAND...

Discovering Sikhs in America

Six days after 9/11 - six days after the wake of the Attack on America on 11 September 2001, it was 21-year-old Amanda Gesine who phoned me at midnight and said "Did you read there was one Sikh American shot and killed. The Internet news reported " ... he was mistaken for a Arab terrorist simply because he wore a turban and beard for religious reasons."

She felt it was a "senseless murder of 49 year old Balbir Singh in Mesa AZ who was killed by Francisco Roque who called it "a patriotic act".

"We've got to do something ... let's produce the film showing mainstream America who are Sikhs, what is Sikhism and what the Sikhs have contributed to America since 1880s, " she repeated.

We had been discussing the format of the documentary film and the effect of South Asians since day 2, after we learned that the first casualities were young Bangladesh waiters who served breakfast at IT Conference at the World Trade Restaurant in the sky. There was no mention of them in any American media.

By day 6, we found ourselves attending a candle light vigilance in Central Park where some Sikh Americans voiced their deep concerns and the need for greater understanding among their American neighbors. They emphazied the fact that they were next door ethnic immigrant neighbors, friends, business and professional associates and colleagues. American born Sikh children stood with their parents, who had considered themselves as part of the American family - attending public and private schools like all the children of America.

Everyone became conscious of the fact that New Yorkers and the American population needed to be educated. Amanda whispered: "Fear comes from ignorance ... from not knowing nor understanding".

How were we going to produce a film showing the neatly tied turbans and bearded practitioners of the Sikh religion and contrast them against those televised images of Osama Bin Laden, sporting a turban and beard ? He was constantly beamed and flashed across the front pages of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV sets throughout the country ? Bin Laden - the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Philadelphia.

We both agreed the primary objective of the TV film program (working title): "Discovering Sikh Americans" - would focus on the inside story of Sikhs living in America, in order to inform, educate and dispel ignorance and fear. It would shed light on their traditional social culture, a 500-year old religion and the historical significance of Sikhism - a way of life. They are 20 million strong living on the sub-Continent of India, while over 250,000 were part of America's mosaic cultural diversity population.