Film Screening: Land of My Dreams

As India heads into an election campaign which has been described as a battle over the Constitution, equal citizenship, and the very essence of democracy, the Modi government has announced the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which potentially disenfranchises India’s Muslim minority community. ‘Land of My Dreams’ (2023) portrays the powerful and inspiring 2019/20 equal citizenship movement against the CAA, and the iconic Shaheen Bagh protests at their heart which saw Muslim women engaging in sustained occupations of public space in Delhi and other cities.

In this moving and thought provoking film, Director Nausheen Khan explores her own experiences as a Muslim woman, whilst questioning current notions of belonging, nationalism, and identity in India. Following the screening, the audience will have the opportunity to ask the director questions.

Brought by the South Asia Solidarity Group and the Bartlett Development Planning Unit, the event is prescient, as India and approximately 980 million Indians heads to the polls from 19 April to 1 June 2024. The event will be chaired and co-hosted by Dr Kamna Patel (DPU) and Dr Kalpana Wilson (Birkbeck, University of London/South Asia Solidary Group).