SINGING PICTURES : WOMEN PAINTERS OF NAYA a documentary film by Lina Fruzzetti, Akos Ostor& Aditi Nath Sarkar

For generations, Patua (or Chitrakar) communities of West Bengal, India have been painters and singers of stories depicted in scrolls. The Patuas tell the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, of Muslim saints (pirs) as well as Hindu Gods and Goddesses. They are Muslims but of a rather special kind, and travel from village to village receiving rice, vegetables and coins from both Hindus and Muslims for their performances. They also make songs and scrolls of 'newsworthy' events, whether it is the Bangladesh War, the Floods of 1978 or the Disasters of 9/11.

In response to the loss of Audience to cinema, radio and TV, and as a means to make extra money, recently a group of women from Naya village near Calcutta formed a scroll painters' Co-operative. The film follows their daily lives as they paint, sing, cook, tend to their children and have business meetings. They discuss the problems and rewards of practicing their art, and speak freely about the social, religious, and political changes in the village and the world beyond. Their wisdom, artistry, and good humor amidst many difficulties illuminate the lives around them.

Language       :   Bengali with English sub-titles