Crossing Lines

An Indian-American woman's struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father.
by
Indira S. Somani
Leena Jayaswal
2009
32 mins

Crossing Lines is about an Indian American woman's struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father.

'Crossing Lines' takes a very personal story of the conflict between an American daughter and her Indian father and turns it into a documentary that touches us all, especially those who have tried to please a parent who comes from a different world, who have tried to keep a culture intact while assimilating into the world around them. It is a tour-de-force merging personal observations with eternal verities about the human condition. Indira's odyssey should not be missed. It will remind you why family is important and how it is possible to reconcile the mysteries and delights of conflicting cultures even while your heart is breaking.
Joe Saltzman
M.S.J., Professor of Journalism and Communications, University of Southern California

Synopsis

Being born and brought up in the U.S., Indira Somani led an American life, but at home, her world was Indian because of her father's immense love for India and Indian culture. This film takes you on a journey to India, where Indira visits her father's extended family for the first time after his death. It is the story of how one daughter pays tribute to her father in all that he's taught her about India, Indian culture and family.

Reviews
The film is very moving and intimate, and to any of us with an Indian family, it makes a powerful connection.
Peter Bhatia
Editor and Vice President, Detroit Free Press , Editor of several Pulitzer-Prize winning projects
... in my Intercultural Communication class I showed Crossing Lines. I show it every semester I teach the class. The students were very moved by it. One was in tears, literally.
Jim Neuliep
Ph.D. Intercultural Communications Scholar, St. Norbert College
The story is told honestly, tenderly, and with humor. I laughed a little, cried a little watching Indira Somani cope with these contending forces. Crossing Lines offers sweet but powerful lessons to students of memory, gender, ethnicity, multiculturalism, and South Asian culture.
Linda Steiner
Ph.D., Critical Cultural Studies Scholar, University of Maryland, College Park
Filling a deep chasm in the public record of immigrant experiences, Indian-American Indira Somani's honest yet tender and moving biographical portrait of her relationship with her father, a first-generation Indian immigrant to the United States, sketches a more universal story of the problems that Asian immigrants face in reconciling homelands with adopted lands.
Radhika Parameswaran
Ph.D., Associate Dean and Herman B Wells Endowed Professor, The Media School, Indiana University
Watch this documentary and give your kid a hug. Especially if she is a girl.
Ashfaque Swapan
India-West

Awards and Screenings
Honorable Mention, Faculty Juried Screening Finalist, University Film and Video Association Conference, New Orleans, 2009
Heart of England International Film Festival, Best American Documentary, Tamworth, England, 2009
Gracie Allen Award, Outstanding Documentary Short Format, American Women in Radio and Television, 2009
Mexico International Film Festival, Bronze Palm Winner-Shorts, 2009
California Arts Association Digital Short Film Festival, Best Documentary Award, Cupertino, California, 2009
Baltimore Women's Film Festival, Runner Up for Best Short Documentary, Baltimore, Maryland, 2008

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Closed Captioning

Film/Audio Languages

  • English

Subtitle/Caption Languages

  • English

Promotional Material

Promotional Stills

Resources for Educators

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