Tell the Water to Pass on our Dreams

We—Advik and Nehal—were born and raised in Durban, South Africa and Jaipur, India respectively. We grew up hearing about the draconian British Raj and it’s long lasting colonial impressions, like one does in any Indian household. We both belong to the two communities this film speaks about. Advik’s family moved to South Africa through indentureship, and most of his family’s history is unknown and remains untraceable. He is part of the “born free” generation of South Africa—the generation born after the end of apartheid. Nehal’s ancestors lived through British rule and settled in Rajasthan post the partition of the Indian subcontinent. They have been working within different government sectors since Independence to help build the national identity.
Through this film, we aim to navigate the multiple realms ways through which the colonial entity ceased our imaginations, and how we the now ‘independent’ must claim it from them.