Photo: Pallavi Paul: The Blind Rabbit, (2021), Still © Pallavi Paul

Provoked by the brutal murder of George Floyd and others, Pavalli Paul created the film THE BLIND RABBIT (2021, 43 min.) exploring the history of systemic abuse of power and police violence since the 1970s in her home country, India. Using allegorical means, she interweaves various historical events: the 1975 – 77 state of emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and the 2019 police attack on Jamia Millia Islamia students. The fictional narrative supplements missing historical sources and accounts for the complexity of multiple truths. Paul’s artistic practice, which includes installation, text, photography, and performance in addition to film, is grounded in her scholarly work.

Introduction: Julia Schleis, curator Fridericianum

Subsequently: talk with the artist (in English)