All Films / Pollination / Flesh and Paper
Flesh and Paper
UK / 1990 / 26m / English
In-Person: Mon 26 June / 19:00 BST
Online: 23 - 29 June
A lyrical exploration of the sense and sensibilities of Indian lesbian poet and writer, Suniti Namjoshi.
This moving and powerful portrait of a unique and brave woman weaves Namjoshi’s life and writings into a sensual tapestry. Showing how “language invents worlds,” her vision as an Indian lesbian feminist is informed both by a lesbian consciousness and a deep Indian cultural framework. Shot on location in Devon, England as well as at the Old Palace in India, the film includes interviews with young Indo-British lesbians, expressive readings and choreographed dance segments. Sharing her life with fellow writer and poet Gillian Hanscombe, Namjoshi’s passionate correspondence with her love reflects the intimacy and detail of this meditative piece. With great visual beauty and lyricism, Flesh and Paper (1990), directed by Pratibha Parmar, captures the spirit of Namjoshi’s poetry in an evocative, multi-layered way.
-
Director - Pratibha Parmar
Writer and Poet - Suniti Namjoshi
Producer - Nasreen Munni Kabir
Participants - Gillian Hanscombe, Ritu, Lily, Rukhsar Ahmed, Carole Spedding
Indian Dance Choreography - Shobana Jeyasingh
Musicians - Juliet Davey, Punita Gupta, Madhu Kothare, Lucy White, Peter J Spencer
Lighting Camera - Nancy Schiesari
Additional Camera - Rajesh Joshi
Camera Assistant - Tessa Sheridan
Sound - Christine Felce
Sound Assistant - Karen Boswall
Editor - Anna Liebschner
Assistant Editor - Annie Brown
Set Designer - Keith Khan
Set Design Assistant - Ali Mehdizaidi
Construction - Tony Boyce, Sean Leonard, Kate Studley, Geraldine Walsch
Production Manager - El Glinoer
Production Assistants - Aheem Kaabir, Alison Riva, Manisha Virkud
Production Accountant - Nigel Wood
Grips - Mick Duffield, Glyn Fielding
Sparks - Tom Gate, Clive Freeth
Runner - Charlie Faussett
Catering - Jane Skeates
Archive Stills - Dinodia Picture Agency, Giti Thadani
Rostrum - Ken Morse
Dubbing Mixer - Peter Hodges
-
Captions by Sarya Wu
British Sign Language by Grace Buckle
BSL Editing by Tao-Anas Le Thanh
Audio Descriptions provided by the International Digital Centre
Read Response
Moving through manipulated pasts
A Response to Flesh and Paper, written by Shirine Shah
Listen to…
Guest Curator Neha Apsara talk about Flesh and Paper and the curated Begana programme in our Audio Programme, Before the Applause - available wherever you get your podcasts.
An introduction to Flesh and Paper (Subtitled)
With Pratibha Parmer, for Fringe of Colour Films 2023
