SAFAR: A Journey of Recollections
Sun, Jun 14
|Children's Creativity Museum
An immersive screening and premiere of “SAFAR,” a poetic short documentary exploring early South Asian immigration through Angel Island.
Time & Location
Jun 14, 2026, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Children's Creativity Museum, 221 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
About the event
USAAF 2026 - Ticketing Information to Come
The centerpiece is a hybrid short documentary featuring Oakland-based choreographer Joti Singh honoring her great-grandfather Bhagwan Singh Gyanee, a member of the Ghadar Party, an anti-colonial movement, and an early South Asian immigrant. Facing surveillance for his work, he escaped India and likely entered the US via Angel Island under a false name. Joti revives this lost history through site-specific performance.
Drawing from her dance-theater work Ghadar Geet, in which she embodies Gyanee on stage, the film reenacts it at the Angel Island Immigration Station. Dressed in a stage-inspired costume as Gyanee, Joti moves through spaces her great-grandfather may have endured, highlighting the experiences of detained South Asian immigrants.
The event will include a lightly facilitated session to reflect on immigration, ancestry, and family memory. It will open with a grounding session led by a trained practitioner to help participants settle, focus, and prepare to engage thoughtfully. This will be followed by a live dance performance by Joti and her team and the documentary screening.
The post-screening program will include a panel discussion and audience dialogue. The event will conclude with a structured reflection, inviting participants to respond to the film and share personal stories and experiences.
>> Photo from Priyanka's Film Inkilab