DOC Team Bridging the Cultural Divide in India

Through out all of my travels over the years I have learned some very important lessons.  In order to bridge the cultural divide you first need to identify common interests and or goals.  While bringing over 20 high school students from Canada to India in order to film this documentary certainly has its challenges, the goal was to first put the young filmmakers at ease with their new surroundings and subjects.  There are many ways to do this, but I have found the easiest way is to connect individuals from different cultures through the arts and culture.

As individuals we have our own beliefs, and interests.  These characteristics are formed through our upbringing, peer groups and these days, pop culture.  The amazing thing about all of these avenues of growth and formation are that they are no longer conducted in silos, disconnected from one another.  Through technology we share many of our experiences and knowledge, we are growing up in the digital world that is interconnected with others who are growing up in that same world, therefore providing us a wonderful opportunity to connect quickly and over a variety of different interests.  Here is how our connection was made.

In entering the world of the Udaipur Gypsies, we were warned that they are a very secretive culture, mistrustful of outsiders.  To add to this, this was the first time most of the filmmakers had been outside of Canada, and the were weary in their own right about what to expect.  But like all things, where there is a challenge there is an opportunity.  I knew that the Gypsies main source of income was received due to their talents in music and dance, so I wanted to show the students their talents, and hopefully get them loosened up and involved. Once Sangita and her family started performing, the students were instantly engaged, and then suddenly pulled into the dance, which left all fears by the wayside.

Once the Gypsies had finished performing for the students, I thought it was important that the filmmakers not only be the audience but also the performers.  I asked Alex, one of the filmmakers, to show off his singing talent for the gypsies, though nervous, he jumped up and did an amazing job, singing a classic Portuguese song, which was soon aided by the drums and sitar from the Gypsies.  This was truly a cross-cultural experience for all the students.  Right after, Ms. Grover, an accompanying teacher, and another student performed a classical India song on the tabla, again breaking down the walls between the two cultures.

In the end, this small amount of cultural and arts interaction provided us the shared experience that propelled the students into action, and created an air of trust and appreciation for all involved and made the filmmaking process that much more successful and enjoyable.

Watch all this unfold now!  Filmed on the Nokia N95.