Sri Lankan American Identity
This documentary titled “Sri Lankan American Identity” is a film that delves into the dual identity of Sri Lankan American women. In addition to identity, topics such as assimilation, minority representation, and colorism are discussed.
My goal was to reveal common narratives shared by first-generation Sri Lankan American children. As a first generation Sri Lankan American myself, I deeply resonate with this project and sought to shed light on the complexities of dual identity through a cultural lens.
This film is my happy medium between dynamic visuals and documentary journalism. I conducted interviews and clipped them down to the overlapping themes amongst my interviewees. I directed the visuals towards Sri Lankan cultural elements, such as the tea ceremony, and purposefully chose a color palette that corresponds to popular sari colors worn amongst Sri Lankan women.
I interviewed, filmed, directed, and edited the video myself. I would like to thank Avishka Jayasekara, Seshmila Jay, and Anika Perera for their vulnerability and for relaying their personal experiences with me.
LA COMMUNITY FRIDGES
L.A. Community Fridges is a mutual aid network of fridges stationed throughout Los Angeles County. This video, created under Loyola Marymount University, is intended to shed light on this community effort to aid in food insecurity—a growing issue that has been exacerbated with L.A.’s housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. For further information regarding the LACF, visit @lacommunityfridges on Instagram.
VENICE BEACH ROLLER SKATE RESURGENCE
Venice Beach California is home to the Roller Skate Dance Plaza, which holds a reputation for being one of the most recognized dance skate communities in the world. Since roller skating has always been significant to Los Angeles, we interviewed local Venice skaters regarding their relationship skate culture.
The Discovery of Oil in Venice
In the early 20th century, many Venice residents were thrilled by the discovery of oil reserves in their city. In 1930, the Los Angeles Times reported that “hundreds of Venice residents” attended a city planning board meeting to implore for more oil drilling…
