Sahan Shakti awarded Special Mention at Big Syn International Film Festival
Sahan Shakti shines a light on the lived experience of South Asian women navigating traditional gender roles and expectations in the UK. Through this festival of hope, peace and change, the ethnographic film has reached an audience of 45 million in over 120 countries.
Out of 400+ submissions, the ethnographic documentary ‘Sahan Shakti’ created, directed and produced by JUST Impact co-founder, Chandni Brown, has been awarded a special mention at the BigSyn International Film Festival.
The film explores themes of migration, female agency and family, following the life of Hina, a ‘twice-migrant’ living in the UK. As the expectations placed upon Hina both in an arranged marriage and a pragmatic divorce are unravelled, Sahan Shakti offers a quiet contemplation on the South Asian diasporic experience.
On her approach to creating the film, Chandni Brown of JUST Impact reflects:
“Issues of gender equality are not something ‘out there’ in some far away distant land. The stories of our own families have so much to reveal about the lives and expectations of women, how these have changed with each new generation and where many blind spots still exist.
It was by taking the time to explore these intergenerational notions of gender, along with migration and culture, that Sahan Shakti has been able to connect to audiences across borders and within homes.”
A gala awards ceremony at the Curzon Mayfair (London), held on 14th November 2023, saw the film selected by a Grand Jury comprised of award-winning filmmakers and leaders from sustainability business, media and policy for its efforts in advancing the SDG Agenda.
The grand jury included notable figures such as green investor Deborah Meaden, BAFTA, EMMY & CANNES award-winning filmmaker Waad Al Kateab, BT group's head of sustainability Gabrielle Giner, OSCAR winner Chris Tashima, London Business School's Prof. Ioannis Ioannou, and Freegle's founder Cat Fletcher.
The founders of the festival Dr Ragini G Roy and Dr Sourav Roy remarked:
"This is the world's biggest platform unifying the power of all forms of films from shorts, features, documentaries, animations to charity films and public service videos that draw attention to sustainability, and inspire people to act on the 17 United Nations Global Goals to combat major issues such climate change, mental health, inequality, discrimination, poverty and many more."
All films touched upon one or more major issues faced by planet and people on matters of social, economic or environmental sustainability. Ardent champion of the sustainability movement and Grand Jury member, Deborah Meaden commented:
"It was a pleasure to be on the Grand Jury of Big Syn International Film Festival - the world's biggest sustainability film festival. Films have a powerful role in showing us the big-picture of sustainability and its significance for our own lives through relatable stories from across the world."
To find out more about Sahan Shakti and our other upcoming projects you can follow us on LinkedIn, or feel free to get in touch.
The BigSyn festival and awards are organised by the Big Syn Institute, part of the Centre for Big Synergy. As a CSO of the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs, the organisation is tasked with creating a thriving, capable and responsible future for today and the generations to come.
