Welcome to our third update on Threads: the art and life of Surayia Rahman – a movie in the making.  You are receiving this message because you have signed up on our film website to receive occasional news about the documentary, because you have been helping us along the way, or because we thought you would be interested.

“Threads” tells the story of a humble, resilient Bangladeshi artist who shared her skills with destitute young women, stirring social change, empowering lives and bringing traditional embroidery to an art form.  Read more on the story and this exquisite art on the Threads website.

Join us in Bangladesh

Len and I landed at Dhaka airport three weeks ago to spend time with Surayia and meet with our great film team in Bangladesh.  We arrived just before the Eid-al-Adha celebrations and Dhaka -- usually teeming with traffic and about 15 million people -- was unusually quiet as many residents returned to their home villages for religious observance and to spend a holiday with their families.   Since we lived in Dhaka seven years ago, much has changed.  Seven years ago,  there were only a few high rise buildings; now high rise offices and apartments are everywhere.   Where there were once fields are now huge shopping centers, the ultramodern Grameenphone building, and landscaped traffic circles.   Some things have not changed – the resilient, hard-working and hospitable Bangladeshi people; the children tapping on car windows at intersections; the colorful rickshaws and lean rickshaw wallahs.  And the traffic is more of a challenge!  

We have been posting news and photos of our events and journeys on our blog every couple of days.  We would love to hear your comments.  If you prefer to have our new blog posts arrive automatically in your inbox, just sign up for the RSS feed on the left side of the home page of the Threads website.

Cathy and Len reviewing film clips with Surayia at her home in Dhaka

These are just a few highlights of our time in Bangladesh......

• Surayia, sitting overlooking her small garden in an area surrounded by garment factories, is continually inspiring.  Though it is frustrating for her not to be able to draw, paint or stitch any longer, she continues to create in her mind.  “I believe that God is there, watching us,” she told us.  “And I believe that I will meet him and say ‘I want to do a painting.' "
• Sister Elizabeth, a tiny bundle of energy,  is now coordinating the nakshi kantha tapestry embroidery work of women that Surayia guided for over twenty-five years.  In downtown Dhaka, through a gated road and down a narrow lane,  young women continue to stitch the most detailed embroideries that look like textured paintings.  Others come in from their village homes from time to time, bringing their works-in-progress of Surayia’s designs.  Across the road at Holy Cross College, Sister Joseph Mary showed us magnificent wooden doors that Surayia designed, as well as some art works of Surayia and other talented Bangladeshi artists.
• Great meetings with our film team...After discussing our next steps on Threads with filmmakers Catherine and Tareque Masud, we sat back in their living room and watched Runway, their riveting new feature film that was just released locally.  And we finally met cinematographer Mishuk Munier and photographer Anil Advani after one year working together across the world on this film project!
• The tiger hunt, the ballroom dances, the first lamp posts, thanksgiving in the villages.....We recorded Surayia's storytelling with Professor Niaz Zaman about the legends and inspirations of her nakshi kantha tapestry designs, vivid stories of life that will be woven into Threads.
• Tea with acclaimed poet Jasim Uddin's daughter; meeting with the very first embroiderer that Surayia trained in the early 1980s; a reunion lunch with Surayia and 'her girls;'  helping an embroidery artist with her breast cancer; gatherings with friends, artists and business associations.  Watch our blog for these and more stories....

Reflections after Dhaka

What breaks my heart?  Seeing children at our car window at intersections, selling books or flowers, teaching their younger brothers or sisters how to survive doing the same.

What gives me hope?  Talking with the well educated, polite, confident daughter of one of the women that Surayia taught and guided in the early 1980s.   Seeing the smiles on the faces of embroidery artists as they reunited with each other at lunch, exchanging stories with us about their plot of land, their childrens' education, and how they are now training others to embroider and to continue to create.

Sharing the film clips with some of the women who worked with Surayia over the years

It is this story of hope and opportunity, the determination to survive and to come out of poverty, the sharing of skills, that we will bring to light in the documentary Threads. By becoming more interconnected, by sharing our own skills with others, we can each make the world a better place.  And perhaps, one day, we will not see children on the street corners of our cities.  

As the year ends, may you have joy in sharing in some small way.  If you could join us to support the production of Surayia's inspirational and exemplary story in this documentary film, please contact us or click here to make a donation, small or large.

In the Finals!

“From the Heart Productions” annually offers the Roy W. Dean Los Angeles Grant and, after reviewing around 200 submissions, their selection panel chose Threads as a finalist! Though, in the end, we were not the winner this time, we were very honoured to be among the top films.  Heartfelt thanks to Carole Dean for your mentorship and for offering this grant to support independent film.

Introducing our 'virtual intern'

We are pleased to introduce Erin, a dedicated and talented film student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles who is interested in becoming a documentary filmmaker.    Just as Surayia worked with emerging artists, so too do we want to offer opportunity for young people to have 'hands-on' experience.  Welcome Erin!

One Year of Progress - thanks for your support!

We have come a long way in a year and we did it because of you!  One year ago this week, we started filming interviews with Surayia with the help of award-winning cinematogrpaher Jay Ferguson.  If you are receiving this email, you have in some way contributed to making Threads a reality, step by step.   It may have been a conversation, a connection with Surayia, an idea at some point, some funding, some photographs of Surayia’s work, our friendship – and we thank you.  Because of you we have been able to have regular telephone contact with Surayia and  have digitized about 400 images of her paintings and nakshi kantha tapestry designs. Translation of our initial film footage is underway, we have Final Cut Pro software up and running and we have been able to travel to Bangladesh and continue development of Threads.

Our friend Barbara Burkhardt, photographer extraordinaire, is granting us the proceeds of one of her gorgeous photographs – a sunset at Bribie Island, Australia.  Check it out on this site.  Thank you Barbara!

And I want to add special note of thanks to the women in the shallow end of the pool at my morning aquafit class who never seem to tire of hearing film stories.  You are a great way to start the day.  

What next?  A trailer of film footage highlights,  more photography of Surayia's work around the world,  more filming in Bangladesh.  Stay tuned...

Leonard joins me in wishing you a New Year of hope and opportunity!

Cathy

cathy@kanthathreads.com

"Threads" -- a life-changing documentary

Photos copyright Kantha Productions LLC and Anil Advani