We had the opportunity to chat with Sasha Rainbow about her short documentary Kamali ahead of the NYC screening at The General by Vans on Wednesday October 30th.
Seven-year-old Kamali is the only girl skateboarder in a small fishing village in India where, by chance, a skate ramp happened to be built right outside her house. Kamali is youngest of three generations of women living together in her home.
Suganthi, Kamali’s timorous mother, was locked away as a child until the day she was married. Having recently found the courage to leave her abusive husband, Suganthi decides to take a pilgrimage in a quest for self-discovery. As mother and daughter are separated for the first time, both must find their freedom as they dare to step outside into a man’s world.
When did you first start skateboarding? What drew you to it?
It was the longest day of the shoot for the music video I was shooting in India with the new girl skate movement happening there. All the girls hadn't arrived till lunch time so we'd lost half a day (so shot some top shots with the guys on their boards disguised in Saree's) We missioned through the afternoon until the sun went down, exhausted, then prepped for our night shoot.
I had planned for us to have this epic flaming sign that burned "ALPHA FEMALE" (the name of the song) above the skatepark, so when the guy organising it arrived with chicken wire, rope and a can of petrol, I made a split second decision, to either freak out, or to skate. I hadn't been on a board since I was 13, but on borrowing a board, found myself doing a pendulum up and down the ramp. People asked me if I had done it before. I hadn't. When we were ready to shoot, the flame sign was pretty pathetic and fizzled out quickly but we shot it slow mo so it was passible.
After that night I felt so good that as soon as I got back to London I bought myself a second hand board.
How do you think skateboarding, specifically as a woman, has influenced your approach to filmmaking?
I think skateboarding has made me more gutsy all around. I was at an age (30) where I was the least in touch with my body than I'd ever been.
Skateboarding linked my body and mind again and made me feel less fear of falling/failing - because it was inevitable. It also made me feel bolder, because of the way the outside world responds to a woman on a skateboard. From pity to pride, the messages I've got have all helped me really not give a fuck what anyone else thinks; I'm doing me.
What was your first reaction when you met Kamali on that trip to India for Wild Beast’s ‘Alpha Female’ video?
Boredom shifted to elation. It's rare to meet someone who has this 'X factor'. Who knows what the hell that even means, but when you witness it, you know it exists. She existed in that moment in total purity.
When did you decide that Kamali needed a film of her own?
Kamali and her mum stayed with us in our accommodation after leaving their village for the big city for the first time. They took my room and I shared with my producer and we all got to know each other well over a few days. Kamali was so much fun to hang with, but It wasn't until we interviewed her mother Suganthi, that we knew there was a story that we had to tell.
What is it like to work with Kamali and her family?
I wouldn't have called it work on our part, but on theirs! They told me later they had thought we were coming to do a cute little content piece on Kamali skating, and had no idea we'd be with them 24/7, some days from the moment they woke up, till when they went to bed. It was hard on their routine, but they were open and generous with us and we became part of the daily fabric of their existence, eating with them, picking Kamali and her brother up from school, weekend trips to the village and so forth. I pushed Suganthi and her family to talk about things they hadn't confronted together, so kudos goes their bravery for sharing their world with us.
What do you hope that people will take away from the film?
I hope any woman in an abusive relationship is inspired by Suganthi to walk away from it. I hope little girls see Kamali and become interested in skating. I hope adults bringing their boys and girls up with gender ideology see Kamali as a role model for what can happen when girls are allowed to follow their passions.
We know that Kamali’s story has already touched many people, inspiring people in India and beyond to break gender barriers - how do you think that skateboarding specifically can help more people like Kamali break barriers in their culture?
In places like India, Afghanistan and Cambodia where organisations such as Skateistan are introducing skateboarding, it hasn't been claimed as a male only sport yet. Where girls might not be allowed to engage in other activities, this one is unclassified. Every time someone in India (or anywhere) sees a girl fall over and pick herself up again, unscathed, something in their consciousness shifts. It comes down to breaking these stereotypes; that girls will have less 'value' if they hurt themselves (like a broken piece of chine, an object), and that anyone could do something just for 'fun.' In Kamali's case, girls in her village are now being allowed to try skateboarding because their parent's have seen the positive effects on Kamali, who is now starting to teach them.
Beyond just gender, how have you seen skateboarding used as a tool for social impact through your work with Kamali and Skateistan?
The actual skate space brings people together; misfits from all ages, genders and social classes; skateboarding is an individual activity with a huge emphasis on community. But I don't know if I can add anything to what you've probably heard before. I'd just say grab a board and try it for yourself sometime. As Channy from Holystoked Collective in India said..."when you feel the wind in your hair, and you're flying, there's nothing like it. And when you fall and injure yourself, you know you're alive."
Watch the trailer below and join us on Wednesday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to watch the film!