“We live in this interconnected world, and everything has probably come from somewhere else, somehow, in our movements. We are currently building and iterating on cultures as we speak, and making it our own.” Shruti Ganguly
E136 – Shruti Ganguly on PANDEMIC GENOCIDE, CULTURAL WEALTH AND RESISTANCE REVIVAL
SILVER LININGS IN A CRISIS
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About this interview:
How do we navigate the complex maps of cultural interconnectedness in times of crisis?
“We live in this interconnected world, and everything has probably come from somewhere else, somehow, in our movements. We are currently building and iterating on cultures as we speak, and making it our own.”
In this episode Amisha talks to Shruti Ganguly, an award-winning filmmaker and published writer. Shruti was a member of Obama’s ECCO committee of 30 leaders and creators in entertainment, chairing its Asian Caucus. Her production company ‘honto88’ creates brave narrative and documentary features, series and branded content. She believes that culturally significant stories deserve to be represented with truth so they can connect and change the way we exist. Shruti is a co-founder of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective born out of the Women’s March that brings together artists and activists to use music and joy as an act of resistance.
Amisha and Shruti speak about the devastating impacts of the pandemic on India rooted in the politics, spiritual and religious complexities of a country that is made of wonderful ‘chaos’, cultural and spiritual practices that have inspired an abundance of cultural interconnectedness across the world. They illuminate the reasons why the world’s largest democracy is failing, what that means for the world and the silver linings of community activism, crisis innovation, international support and courageous journalism that are emerging under the weight of this crisis.
Shruti shares insights into living a creative life as a filmmaker navigating complex ideas and companies in a quest for truths that connect us with authentic voices and brave narratives. She speaks about the importance of working with good teams that can lead and support each other in reciprocity with kindness and empathy. She talks about her project the ‘Resistance Revival Chorus’, a global resistance movement bringing us into relationship with joy and activism through song.
We learn that when the governments fail us, we, the people, can bound together and emerge with innovative solutions that eventually will become new systems that will protect and save even the most vulnerable people. Joy as resistance is one way for us to release anger and build joy and happiness. We just need to show up with heart.
“The silver lining that one is seeing in the midst of this, is people coming together to protect each other, people coming together and innovating to find solutions.” Shruti Ganguly
Shruti Ganguly is an award-winning filmmaker and writer based in Oslo and New York City. Shruti was a member of Obama’s ECCO committee of 30 leaders and creators in entertainment, chairing its Asian Caucus, and is on the Creative Council for Emily’s List. She has produced several films (including Spirit-winner H., and the Nora Ephron Prize-winner INITIALS SG) that have premiered Sundance, Venice, Tribeca and Berlin. Shruti has directed videos for Google, Unilever, Nike, Conde Nast, Chanel, and crafted the #MySentence series on prison reform for the Obama Administration.
In late 2017, Shruti started honto88, a production company that works in a variety of formats – from narrative and doc features to series, and branded content. She launched it with a narrative feature, GREEN DOLPHIN, by director Chris Kenneally and EP Keanu Reeves. Shruti worked for several years with James Franco on films, and produced an experimental art performance with him and Marina Abramovic, called BIRD SHIT, which premiered at the MoMA. Previously, Shruti worked at NYLON, MTV, and Conde Nast, producing the CLIO-winning 73 Questions series. Shruti is currently writing a genre film for Sony, and writing a multi-generational drama for Netflix. She is developing a series on the Harlem Renaissance with Killer Films and MGM.
Shruti is a co-founder of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective born out of the Women’s March that brings together artists and activists to use music and joy as an act of resistance. Shruti is a published writer (Nevertheless They Persisted, Penguin) and a contributing writer for The Juggernaut. Shruti received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and went to NYU’s dual MFA/MBA program at Tisch and Stern. She hails from India, by way of Oman, and believes that international stories deserve the specificity and truth, and strategic marketing and distribution plan to travel the world and change the way we exist.
To connect or work with Shruti, visit honto88.com
To connect or work with Amisha, visit amisha.co.uk
For the Immunity Support Protocols for India, find them here
Links from this episode:
India Immune Support Protocols
India COVID Support . key resources
India COVID Fundraiser . West Bengal
Shruti’s movie inspiration . ‘Pather Panchali’ by Satyajit Ray
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