Film/Stage

A New Film by Angad Singh:
(Ex) Changed

by SHELBY STEINHAUER

 

 

On Wednesday, April 13, 2011, Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A.,screened its first ever student-produced and directed documentary, (Ex) Changed, by 11^th grade filmmaker, Angad Singh. 

(Ex) Changed, Angad Singh's third documentary, has already received an award for "Best Youth Documentary" at the International Family Film Festival in California this year, and is set to screen at film festivals around the country and in France.

The screening in Alpharetta, sponsored by Milton's 104-member strong French club and hosted by French Club President, Santiago Pardo, attracted an audience of about three hundred, including thirty-two exchange students from Nantes, France, along with their hosts and teachers. 

All who attended left with a sense of wonder that one of their peers had created such an outstanding and meaningful piece of work. Tears, laughter, and applause punctuated the screening at regular intervals. 

Pardo commented, "As President of French Club, I was extremely excited for the French Club to host this event. The turnout was amazing, everything went perfectly, and the movie was incredible. It was a great night and I thank Angad for letting us screen his movie."

"Everyone should see this movie," said freshman, Lydia Maier.

"Not only was it awesome, but inspirational as well. It changed my way of thinking completely, and next year I look forward to hosting the ‘Frenchies,'" remarked sophomore, Mercedes Phillips.

(Ex) Changed documents a two-week period in 2009 during which the director, Angad Singh, welcomed a young man from France, Martin Bretigniere, into his home.  Martin and thirty-one other French students, along with their two teachers, came to Georgia to learn about the American way of life and to experience American culture firsthand. Mrs. Ann Girard, Chair of the Milton World Langauge Program, and Mrs. Marie-Jo Grenon, English teacher from Lycée La Perverie, collaborated to continue the tradition of the the Milton-Nantes exchange program, then in its 8th year.

In many ways, Angad Singh is a typical American teen. 

Born in Utah, U.S.A., he moved to Georgia early on and has attended Fulton County Schools since kindergarten. An honors student with a heavy course load, he enjoys team sports, hanging out with friends, and he is a top-rated fencer.

In other ways, Angad Singh is not so typical. He created his first documentary, One Light, at the age of 13, followed immediately by Roots and Wing, at 14. Both films have earned accolades at film festivals around the continent and in schools around the world.

Angad stands out in another way. He is a Sikh - a religious minority with roots in Punjab - and he wears a turban and full beard as articles of his faith. From an early age, he has promoted education and interfaith dialogue about his beliefs and, through his filmmaking, he strives to speak out for those who are mistreated or misunderstood because of how they look or what they believe.

The message of (Ex) Changed is both universal and personal. Angad Singh highlights the experience of the thirty-two students coming to America and what they learned by living with American families. One French student in the film remarked that before coming to the U.S.A., she believed all Americans were obese and drove four-wheel drive vehicles.

Conversely, the filmmaker himself acknowledges that many American students believe the French sit in cafés all day and say, "Oui, Oui" to each other. Yet, over the course of the documentary, we find that America and France share many historical connections, and both the American and French teens grow together in positive ways to form their own personal bonds as well.

Sophomore Sepehr Saberian commented, "This documentary really clarified the misunderstood stereotypes about different cultures. It also helped me to understand what it means to be an American citizen."

In addition to documenting the fun and educational aspects of the exchange, Angad Singh's documentary highlights his own doubts about whether he - a child of immigrants and himself a turban-wearing Sikh-American - can give Martin the full American experience that he came so far to enjoy.

After seeing Martin's shy smile light up the screen as he comments that it will be really hard to leave his newly adopted family, the answer is a resounding "Yes."  In this cultural exchange, French students witnessed thirty-two different faces of America. 

Hardeep Singh, a community member and fellow Sikh, observed that this film "projects how people-to-people interaction can effectively de-mystify the stereotype approach of judging people, communities or a country. It reflects the unity in diversity of America."

Carroll Keen, the head of Milton's Talented and Gifted program, saw the message of the film as "promoting friendship across what some might perceive as barriers." She added, "It is amazing that one so young could do such a very professional production."

In an unexpected twist, Angad reveals that one of his own connections to France is in jeopardy. The film touches upon a controversial French law currently being challenged in international courts that prohibits the wearing of religious symbols in public school - crosses, hijabs, yarmulkes - and turbans.

The irony is clear. 

Angad Singh, a talented, outgoing, open-minded American teen who has opened his home and his heart to a French teen just like him, would not even be able to attend school in France because his faith requires him to wear a turban. Martin, who attended Sikh religious services while staying with Angad and found them to be educational and interesting, declared the French law unfair.

The documentary ends with Angad Singh hoping that exchanges such as the one in which he participated will change the world for the better for future generations.

Like many members of the audience that night, Giji Whiteside, Angad's fencing coach and a teacher at Milton High School, was surprised to learn that the wearing of religious symbols is prohibited in French Schools.  Most people present were not aware that such human rights violations existed in Europe. 

Hardeep Singh related, "The film leaves the audience in a self-reflecting state, that if a citizen [with his/her articles of faith] of a nation can take the bullets in their chest, why cannot he/she attend a school with their articles of faith."

Whiteside called the film "interesting, funny and poignant," and added, "When I meet students like Angad and others of his caliber, it makes me feel just a little bit better about who is going to be in charge of our world."  She further commented, "Stereotypes are easy to break when we give the group we are "'typing" a chance to be individuals. There is no such thing as a ‘typical' American."

Angad's mother, Gurmeet Kaur, attended the screening. She reflected, "When Angad was speaking, I tried to disconnect from being Angad's mom to being just a citizen of the world who was interested in exploring the depth and character of our youth, and I was content with the feeling that the future is in good hands with kids like Angad. He not only wears the outward symbols of our faith (unshorn hair and turban) with dignity, he carries the core message of Sikhism that is the 'oneness of  humanity' in his everyday life and his films, and I am proud of that."

Even though Angad Singh has screened his previous two films as an invited director across the U.S.A. and in India and France, the Milton premiere of (Ex) Changed represents a new chapter in Angad's filmmaking experience. He has matured as an artist, and he has created something special for his school community. 

According to him, "This was the day I waited for - for I got to show off and share my hard work with my crowd - my friends, my teachers, my family, my school in my hometown."  This is the audience for whom he made the film, and many of the participants in the film attended the event.

Angad hopes to screen (Ex) Changed for teens throughout the world, particularly for students in France. One of his goals is to have them understand the Sikh turban from a personal viewpoint, so that they can open their minds towards it. Another goal is to tell the world that people are not what [picture] is painted by the governments and media.

In a question and answer session following the screening, an audience member asked, "What inspired you to make this film?"

Angad answered , "It is not so much the inspiration that made me make this film that counts - it is the journey of making the film that inspired me the most - getting to know the students (American and French) I interviewed, going into their homes, minds and hearts, traveling to three other countries in the process, exploring my own roots and connecting with them; all of this changed my life. I found inspiration every step of the way because I met many great people and developed amazing friendships through this journey."

Not surprising that the young filmmaker summed everything up himself:  "...and that was the theme of the film anyways ... building friendships across the boundaries of land and culture."

 

For more information about (Ex) Changed, please CLICK here. Also, you can view the trailer by CLICKING here. 

For information about Angad's previous film, Roots & Wings, please CLICK here. 

 

April 29, 2011

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