Movie/Concert Reviews

Fire is the story of an Indian family in New Delhi in the midst of transition. The main characters are two sisters-in-law, Radha (Shabana Azmi) and Sita (Nandita Das), who are both trapped in loveless marriages and bound by Indian tradition to be self-sacrificing, devoted, and faithful to their husbands and family. Radha is the elder sister-in-law, the consummate Indian wife, who has been married to her husband Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda) for 15 years; they have no children as Radha is barren. After realizing that his wife could have no children (an undesirable fate for an Indian woman), Ashok dedicated himself to a life of celibacy and the elimination of desire under the tutelage of a swami. For 13 years, Ashok and Radha have existed in a marriage without sexual intimacy or physical affection. Also living with Ashok and Radha are Biji (Kushal Rekhi), Ashok's elderly mother who is feeble and mute from having a stroke, and his younger brother Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi), who is having an affair with a Chinese woman. Sita enters the picture when Jatin reluctantly succumbs to family pressure to have an arranged marriage; however, he does not give up his Chinese girlfriend and tells Sita that he does not expect her to be a traditional wife. Lastly, there is Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhury), the live-in servant who also works in the family's restaurant and video store below their apartment.

The focus of the film is the intensely passionate and sensual love relationship that develops between the two sisters-in-law Radha and Sita, who are both lonely, and starved of love, affection, and meaningful friendship. Deepa Mehta commented that the story is less about a lesbian affair than about the characters needing to be alive. Both Radha and Sita are oppressed under the weight of a tradition which requires them to be submissive, dutiful, self-sacrificing, and faithful. Biji, the mother-in-law, is a silent but powerful symbol of this tradition, which is forever in the background reminding them of their places as Indian wives. The young newlywed Sita questions her wifely duties, particularly after she realizes that Jatin has a lover whom he is not willing to leave, and specifically during Karva Chauth, a day on which Hindu women fast for the welfare and long life of their husbands until they see the moon. Sita comments on the irony and injustice of this ritual, in that she and Radha are fasting for their husbands well-being while their husbands, who give them nothing in return for their devotion, are not even present to witness the ritual.

Deepa Mehta also artfully weaves in a story from the classic Hindu epic Ramayana as a theme in the film; it is the story of the goddess Sita being put through a trial by fire in order to determine whether or not she has been a pure and faithful wife while her husband, the god Rama, has been absent. In one scene during the film, Ashok and his swami are watching this story acted out as a play. At the end of the film, after Ashok confronts the defiant Radha about her love affair with Sita, Radha's sari catches fire from the gas stove and she is suddenly surrounded by flames. She then frantically tries to extinguish the flames as her husband and mother-in-law silently watch. Radha survives the test of fire, a testimony to the fact that she has been pure and faithful to her husband, and that she now has to be faithful and truthful to herself and to Sita.

This film is a story of a family which is pulled apart by the conflict between duty and personal desires, between the continuity of historical tradition and the desire for independence, which is exemplified by the two women

who go against traditional values in order to pursue their ownhappiness and freedom.Mehta describes this film as a metaphor for major transitions which are taking place across India, where old and new values are clashing. She explains that this film shows the reconsideration of the role of Indian women in which self-sacrifice and absolute devotion are characteristics difficult to maintain in the context of attenuating family ties and the erosion of the male figure as the source of wisdom, strength, and financial power. "Fire explores the contradictions and chaos that exist between the old and the new, between East and West, and between the spiritual and material" (quoted in the internet article Trial by Fire, by Lavina Melwani).

In my opinion, Fire is a brilliant and beautiful film; it is aesthetically pleasing, superbly acted, exquisitely filmed, full of sumptuous colors, profound and genuine emotion, sensuality, and passion. When I left the film, the most intense images that stayed with me were of the colors and textures in the film: the warm and brilliant reds, oranges, greens, and yellows of the women's saris, of the cloths hanging out to dry in the sun, the gauzy mosquito net surrounding Radha's bed. What I enjoyed seeing most of all, however, was the wonderful bond which formed between the two women who came together as friends and lovers out of mutual need and desire. Rather than turn to other men, they turned to each other for love, friendship, and support. They gave meaning to each others lives, validated each other, and defied their family and culture by defining and following their own desires for love, happiness, and personal freedom outside of the context of marriage.

I first watched the incredibly stunning film Fire (now one of my favorite films) this past April during Filmfest DC and was fortunate enough to attend the question and answer session with director Deepa Mehta afterwards. Most of the people who attended this session were deeply touched by the film and full of praise for the director, but of course there were the reactionary elements (only men, I might add) who were shocked and disturbed by what they felt was evidence of the detrimental effects of Western immorality on Indian culture. This premiere of Fire in Washington, DC played to a fully-packed theater, and I believe the tickets had been sold out well before the night of the film. I watched the film a second time at the Key Theater in Georgetown in September.

Deepa Mehta, whose other feature films include Sam and Me (1991) and Camilla (1994), is a Toronto-based filmmaker. She was born, raised, and educated in India, but has lived in Canada for the last sixteen years. Her latest film has been shown in a number of international film festivals both in the United States and abroad; it first premiered to outstanding ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 1996 and has won numerous awards. Fire is the first film in an elemental trilogy on which Mehta is currently working, of which the second and third films will be called Earth and Water. The actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das (Radha and Sita in Fire) will also be acting in Earth, which is a story of the partition of India told from the point of view of a nine year old girl. The filming of Earth began this September. The last film of the trilogy, Water, will be set in Benares during the 1920s and will portray the story of a teenage widow who has a love affair with a young priest. After viewing Fire, I and Deepa Mehta's many fans are eagerly awaiting these next two films.

On Halloween, when children of all ages were dressing up for a night of festivities, I joined an eager crowd for the annual fall concert of Sweet Honey in the Rock at the Warner Theater. Sweet Honey is a group of six African-American women (five singers and one language interpreter) based in DC. They sing a capella music that spans many genres, including slave spirituals and liberation songs, West African music, and contemporary political pieces. Their take on life is feminist, Afrocentric, spiritual, empowering, and affirming.

This concert tour celebrates Sweet Honey's twenty-fourth anniversary, and they performed both new and old music. Old audience favorites included "Would You Harbor Me?," about everyone's involvement with oppressed peoples; "Denko," a song from the Bambara in Mali and Senegal about the importance of children in a West African woman's life cycle; and "We Are," which centers on children in our culture and our families. Before their second act, the group lead the audience in "Balm in Gilead," a traditional African-American spiritual.

For newer music, they performed several pieces, including one composed by member Dr. Isaye Maria Barnwell. Dr. Barnwell returned from the 1995 UN Conference on Women in Beijing, China full of energy and excitement and wrote "Soundbite from Beijing: We Are Rising Up," about women's global liberation. On a personal level, I had the opportunity to perform this song with Dr. Barnwell in 1996 at the Gay & Lesbian Association of Choruses Festival before an audience of 6,000 people. This concert was the first time that I heard it performed by Sweet Honey and, true to form, they were fabulous.

Not only is Sweet Honey's music incredible, but their interaction with each other is a joy to watch. During their performances, they move around the stage, singing to each other and the audience. Their use of various instruments—drums, rain sticks, tambourines, and gourds—adds depth and texture to their music. Sweet Honey will be returning to DC on January 17 for their annual children's concert at Lincoln Theatre. You won't want to miss it!