'Puṅgudutīvu' film screening, and Q & A with director Thanges Paramsothy

 Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 4:30pm

 Uris Hall, G08 109 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853

The documentary “Puṅgudutīvu: A Disintegrating Island” is based on an anthropological field research study undertaken in Puṅgudutīvu, located in Jaffna peninsula, northern Sri Lanka, by Thanges Paramsothy, then a doctoral research student at the University of East London, United Kingdom. This documentary brings to the forefront the land-related issues, which the people of Puṅgudutīvu currently face consequent to the internal and external displacements brought about in the wake of the armed conflict that lasted three decades.

Both Tamils living abroad and Tamils still living on the island are rebuilding and renovating their communal temples as a means of bringing together their brethren as well as their kith and kin who are scattered all over the world and their commendable efforts, have been documented herein. This also brings into focus some problematic issues routinely encountered by the inhabitants in relation to their residence, water problems, agriculture, safety and security, casteism, religion, etc.

Thanges Paramsothy obtained his PhD in anthropology and Master's degree in refugee studies at the University of East London. He completed his undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.  He co-edited a book, Casteless or Caste-blind. He recently published an article, "Caste within Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora," in a refereed journal, Anthropology Matters. His research interests include caste dynamics, the Tamil diaspora, conflict-induced IDPs, subaltern politics, land issues and visual anthropology predominantly in Sri Lanka and Tamil diaspora localities. He is currently the Tamil Studies Visiting Scholar at Cornell University.