Celebrating International Women’s Day

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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.

 

 

 

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Last chance to see “Telling Stories” in Toronto

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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.

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Color and Beauty for the New Year!

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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.

            Donate Here Today

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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First award!

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Posted by Cathy and Len:

Threads was chosen by the audience as Best Short Documentary at the Gig Harbor Film Festival!  Threads screened to a full house on Saturday October 18, and on Sunday morning we received the good news that the film had won.

Marty Thacker, Barbara Rankin and the whole team at the Gig Harbor Film Festival put on a memorable Festival – for filmmakers and the community alike.  Thank you so much!  Thank you to everyone who came out to see the film, and the many people who have supported us from the very early days of this project.

We’ve been asked many times in recent days: “What’s next?”  Our top priority is to find sponsors to help us take the film to Bangladesh, where we can show it to the women and to others who we hope will be inspired by its story of sharing skills, resilience and determination in the face of obstacles.  We will also be working on film festival entries and making the film available for those who want to purchase it.  May the inspiration and hope of the story of Surayia, her art, and the women spread around the world!

With Gig Harbor Film Festival Executive Director Marty Thacker after receiving the award for "Threads."

With Gig Harbor Film Festival Executive Director Marty Thacker after receiving the award for “Threads.”

 

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A wonderful evening at MAIWA

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Posted by: Cathy

It was an honor and a pleasure to show Threads and answer questions about the film at the MAIWA Symposium in Vancouver, BC, recently.  I was particularly happy that a number of people who know Surayia or helped with filming in Canada could attend.

Here’s a review of the event on the MAIWA blog.  Thank you!

Woman embroidering kantha. Surayia Rahman design. Photo used with permission.

Woman embroidering kantha. Surayia Rahman design. Photo used with permission.

 

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