As a child in India, Vishavjit witnesses an anti-Sikh genocide and hopes to one day return to the safety of the United States, where he was born. But when he gets the chance as a young man, he finds that even in the land of his birth, he is treated as an outsider. Torn between his religious and national identities, he goes on a journey to find himself. A journey that is once again challenged in the aftermath of September 11th. Unwilling to give up his identity, but frustrated by the blatant hate he faces on a daily basis, Vishavjit decides to respond in a unique way - by dressing up as a superhero. In so doing, even to his own surprise, he's able to flip the terrorist stereotype on its head, find acceptance, and show the world who he really is.
Director's Bio:
Ryan Westra is a Los Angeles-based Director/Cinematographer and Vishavjit Singh is a New York-based illustrator, writer, performance artist, TEDx speaker and DEI advocate. Vishavjit Singh and Ryan Westra are the creative partners behind American Sikh, an animated documentary capturing Vishavjit's story as a turban and bearded Sikh man in post-9/11 America.
As a child in India, Vishavjit witnesses an anti-Sikh genocide and hopes to one day return to the safety of the United States, where he was born. But when he gets the chance as a young man, he finds that even in the land of his birth, he is treated as an outsider. Torn between his religious and national identities, he goes on a journey to find himself. A journey that is once again challenged in the aftermath of September 11th. Unwilling to give up his identity, but frustrated by the blatant hate he faces on a daily basis, Vishavjit decides to respond in a unique way - by dressing up as a superhero. In so doing, even to his own surprise, he's able to flip the terrorist stereotype on its head, find acceptance, and show the world who he really is.
Director's Bio:
Ryan Westra is a Los Angeles-based Director/Cinematographer and Vishavjit Singh is a New York-based illustrator, writer, performance artist, TEDx speaker and DEI advocate. Vishavjit Singh and Ryan Westra are the creative partners behind American Sikh, an animated documentary capturing Vishavjit's story as a turban and bearded Sikh man in post-9/11 America.