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    Everything that is going on at THREADS is collected here. Come back often, we’re updating our blog with events, screenings, news, and more

Posted by: Cathy and Len

Some of the Quilts of Valor at Jubilee Lodge.

Some of the Quilts of Valor at Jubilee Lodge.

Today Americans celebrate Memorial Day, commemorating the sacrifices of those who have died in the service of their country.  We were reminded of  those sacrifices when we recently screened Threads and had a lively discussion about the film at Jubilee, an active adult community in Lacey, Washington.

Just outside of the hall where we showed the film was a very moving display of quilts made by residents of Jubilee for wounded service members at nearby Madigan Army Medical Center.  These “Quilts of Valor” demonstrate the skill and dedication of the makers, and received a certificate of appreciation from the Warrior Transition Battalion at the hospital.

We brought one of Surayia’s nakshi kantha tapestries, “Gypsy Wharf,” for film attendees to examine. Although “Gypsy Wharf” is very different in style and theme from the Quilts of Valor, the quality and diversity of stitching traditions continues to amaze us.  We are always energized by meeting people who, like Surayia and the women of Arshi, turn thread and fabric into visually intricate and wonderful works of art that can warm and help to heal spirit and body.

Thank you to those who have served to make us free and to those whose commitment to others gives hope.

Certificate of Appreciation for the quilts.

Close-up, Quilts of Valor, Jubilee Lodge.

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Len

Threads is moving out into the world.  Thanks to your help, this inspiring documentary will be available in coming days to audiences of cinema lovers including film industry executives and distributors.

—  VISIONS DU REEL:  Starting April 17 Threads will be available in the Media Library at the Visions du Reel Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland.  Anyone with an industry pass can view the film onsite during the festival and online for six months.  Please check out our listing in the Medial Library catalog and click the Facebook “like” button.

—  JULIEN DUBUQUE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:  We are very excited to be in this festival in Dubuque, Iowa, since Surayia has a strong connection to the state.  As we’ve mentioned in an earlier post, Surayia sold her artwork in the late 1960s through the gift shop at the Des Moines Art Center.  Those sales, which were arranged by a woman from Iowa who was temporarily staying in East Pakistan, came at a crucial time in Surayia’s life and helped her to build her house.

At the festival, Threads will be screening three times in a program (DOC I) with three other short documentaries:

*  Thursday, April 23 at 1:30PM at Stan’s

*  Friday, April 24 at 9:00AM at Stan’s and

*  Sunday, April 26 at 3:30PM at Vinny Vannuchi’s

If you are in the area, please attend!

—  HOT DOCS:  For those with an industry pass, Threads will be available in the Doc Shop and viewable for 12 months online.  Cathy will be attending Hot Docs and looks forward to stimulating films — including Drawing the Tiger by Seattle film makers Amy Benson and Scott Squire — and stimulating conversations.

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

We will be posting some good news about film festival and other showings of Threads soon.  In the meantime, check out the new trailer for Threads that co-producer Catherine Masud has just completed.  Thank you, Catherine!

Please feel free to share the trailer widely.  If you prefer to watch and share on YouTube, you can see the new trailer here.

Traditional Boat.  Surayia Rahman design.  Photo used with permission.

Traditional Boat. Surayia Rahman design. Photo used with permission.

 

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

We are happy to join people around the world celebrating International Women’s Day March 8.

On this day, we particularly salute women artists who open doors to economic opportunity, preserve culture and foster creativity and community development.   Artisan enterprise today is the second largest employer after agriculture in the developing world, and, as Threads shows, the work of artisans can have a ripple effect, positively impacting the lives of generations.

We encourage everyone to think about handmade goods when making consumer choices and to support living artists whenever possible.  We believe that a world without poverty is possible, and that each of us can make a difference toward this goal.

Surayia and the women she worked with share their skills and together create timeless art. With creativity and determination, they feed and educate their children.  We salute their accomplishments.

 

 

 

Posted by:  Cathy
“Telling Stories,” an exhibition at the Textile Museum of Canada (TMC), features a work designed by Surayia Rahman and embroidered by artisans of Arshi in Bangladesh.  This link shows the range of textile art featured in “Telling Stories,” which will be closing January 25th.  This link takes you to Surayia’s work in the Textile Museum, a piece called “Georgian Times,” based on her experiences of life in the last days of the British Raj.  The intricate embroidered stories include tea harvesting, shown in a detail (below) from the TMC website.
If you will be in Toronto before January 25, don’t miss this opportunity to see Surayia’s work on view with other fascinating storytelling textiles.
Tea Harvesting, detail from "Georgian Times." Surayia Rahman design. Photo by Textile Museum of Canada.

Tea Harvesting, detail from “Georgian Times.” Surayia Rahman design. Photo by Textile Museum of Canada.

Posted by:  Cathy and Len

Happy New Year, everyone!  Here is the latest Threads newsletter.  You can get a copy as soon as it comes out by subscribing at our website: kanthathreads.com.  Thanks to Anil Advani and Rita Meher for the photos.

Mustard field, photo by Anil AdvaniMay you find color and beauty in each day of the New Year

What an extraordinary year!  As 2014 comes to a close, we send our thanks and good wishes to you and other supporters of Threads around the world.  With your help and the dedication of our film team, we completed and launched Threads!

Threads recently screened for the first time at a film festival and won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary.  We are very pleased with the positive response that this inspiring story is receiving and we look forward to bringing it to diverse audiences in many countries.

We anticipate an exciting year ahead for Threads.  Our top priority is to find sponsors for a trip to Bangladesh to show the finished film to the resilient women who are in it and to screen the film as widely as possible in Bangladesh.  We are also applying to film festivals worldwide.  Getting into festivals is an exciting opportunity to have the film seen by more and more people, including critics and distributors, but it is also a lot of work: we will need to prepare exhibition copies of Threads, create press materials, and refresh the website.

As we continue work on this project, we speak with Surayia regularly and update her on our progress.  She has seen an earlier cut of the film, and we hope that the day will soon come when she can see the finished version of Threadswith her family and friends.

We wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2015 and hope to see you at a screening of Threads soon.  We will keep you updated on screenings through our newsletter and website.   We are always happy to hear your ideas , so please keep in touch and tell your friends about Threads.

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Threads has come this far with your support.   Thank you!  Just think what we can do together in 2015.   Please help us to bring Threads story to audiences around the world.

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