Vishavjeet Singh faced discrimination after 9/11 which ended up prompting him to dress up as Captain America in NYC. Quickly becoming an icon in the Sikh community after getting mainstream media attention Vishavjeet Singh took the opportunity further. He spread his views and his story until it was heard by a young filmmaker, Ryan Westra from Los Angeles, who made a film based on Sikh Captain America: 'Red, White and Beard'. The dynamic duo went on to spend years creating a first of its kind animated short film: 'American Sikh'.
This short film explains the Sikh identity in a way that personal, relatable and specifically speaks to Americans. It is now a cherished modern gem in Sikh media.
But how did this film maker gain an interest in Sikhs and how did he come to meet Vishavjeet Singh in the first place?
I learned the backstory when I attended Sikhlens festival last year and met Vishavjeet Singh myself. Ryan had been under the patronage of Sikhlens' own Bicky Singh who offered film students free film equipment if they produced films related to Sikhs or Sikhism. This was all part of a greater vision to inspire aspiring media creators to know about and display to the world who Sikhs are. This is an incredible initiative and Sikhlens should be applauded for their far sightedness and savvy. Indeed, there is little awareness in the western world about Sikhism and this approach to influence the media scape is well.... genius.
That is but one example of the impact of Sikhlens vision and initiative.
I've attended several Sikhlens events in Santa Ana California (just south of LA) and I'm always amazed to see just how much art is being patroned from this organization. In years past I've seen international guests flown from India, Australia and the UK to speak about their work. Last year I was particularly impressed with how many films are being directly produced by Sikhlens (including one being shown this year that features the Colorado University Langar program with guest speaker Dilpreet Jammu, which I happen to have a short cameo in heh). From documentaries about innovative Sikh farmers in India to restoration efforts for abandoned gurdwaras in Pakistan to co-producing first time film makers showing a taste of Sikh culture Sikhlens is increasingly a powerhouse in film production and proliferation.
The long standing event in Southern California is expanding to other cities in the US, and even to India, as the initiative, series of initiatives actually, continue to expand.
Every Sikhlens event is chalked full of industry and thought leaders. The global ambition of Sikhlens to patron Sikh arts and expand Sikh reach in media deserves recognition. And attendance.
