[INDOLOGY] Screening a film on Women’s Storytelling in Mithila

[Pranav Prakash]

Dear All,



I hope this email finds you well. Since several colleagues on this forum
may be planning a visit to the UK over the summer break, I wonder if you
would be interested in attending the screening and discussion of an
award-winning documentary film, *Sama in the Forest*, on *June 10*, 2025,
from *5:00 pm to 7:00* pm at the *Sir Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre*,
Christ Church, Oxford.



*Sama in the Forest* <https://samaintheforest.bucknell.edu/> is a hybrid,
feminist and participatory documentary film focused on the power of women’s
storytelling in the Mithila region of South Asia. In a creative
collaboration with Maithili-speaking communities, the film narrates the
tale of Sama, a young princess who wanders into the forest and befriends a
young man, only to be slandered by a muckraking confidante of the king, and
subsequently cursed and banished by her father, Lord Krishna. The film
combines footage of women telling different versions of the tale and
participating in a yearly festival that celebrates Sama, the making of
elaborate narrative paintings, a dramatization of the story, as well as
in-depth conversations about the morals and meanings of this and other
traditional tales. Community members of different genders, castes, and
generations help paint a complex picture of the social tensions evident in
Mithila today.



The film is directed by Carlos Gomez and produced by Coralynn V. Davis
<https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/coralynn-davis> in collaboration with
M. S. Suman. It was awarded Best Feature by the Society for Visual
Anthropology at their Film and Media Festival (Toronto, Canada, 2023). It
is currently shortlisted for the Richard Werbner Award for Visual
Ethnography of the Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival (June
11-15, 2025, Bristol, UK).



For queries relating to the movie, please contact: cvdavis at bucknell.edu.
For queries relating to the venue, please contact: porters at chch.ac.uk. For
any other queries, contact: pranav.prakash at chch.ox.ac.uk.



We heartily invite you to attend the event. Please extend our invitation to
your colleagues and friends as well. We have attached the poster of the
movie with this email. This event is free to the public. There is no RSVP
or pre-registration. The theatre will be closed as soon as it reaches its
full capacity.



Sincerely,

Pranav

Pranav Prakash
Junior Research Fellow, Christ Church, University of Oxford
Senior Mellon Fellow in Critical Bibliography, Rare Book School, University
of Virginia
Director of Studies for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Christ Church,
University of Oxford
Trustee, American Printing History Association
Website <http://www.pranav-prakash.com> | LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranav-prakash-570573167/> | X Twitter
<https://twitter.com/4PranavPrakash>
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