Tales from the Desert Gypsies
Storytelling, Film & Dance with Sej Saraiya
Sej Saraiya (b. 1985) is an ethnographic photographer and filmmaker who has spent the last several years documenting indigenous cultures in the East. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Film Writing from the University of Southern California, and has since traveled to the deep interiors of Asia in an attempt to transcend language and cultural barriers and capture stories of remote cultures.
Reflecting her own perpetual search for a deeper meaning in life, her work can best be described as spiritual and philosophical, hoping to create a yearning in the viewers that is tantamount to her own.
Her photographs have been exhibited both in America and India and hang in the homes of private collectors in Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, India, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
In this experiential hour of storytelling, film and dance, she will share tales from the deserts of India, where she spent time with the gypsy women documenting their incredible stories and their dance; followed by a 10 minute short film (snippet of her not-yet-released feature documentary "Kalbeliya: the dance of freedom" | www.kalbeliyafilm.com); to end with a short dance lesson of the gypsy dance with a guest teacher.
Watch a preview of "Kalbeliya: the dance of freedom” here: https://vimeo.com/415327574