after the floods, people. after the
fires, people. not governments.
not borders. not the soldiers
or rifles. not the state
history or news or flag.
people, in masks,
cooking food, sorting rubble
& burned wood, driving tonmng
each other, asking are you
okay, baby? when the sky
turned black, when the sun
went into the ocean,
when ash fell
instead of rain.
Fatimah Asghar, al-haq
After Eelam is a patchwork of voices, struggles, solidarities that ask what does a Tamil homeland look like, feel like, breathe like, outside of a man made agenda? Outside of borders, class, caste, gender? What does Tamil liberation on the island of so called Sri Lanka mean if it includes not just the North Eastern Tamils, but also our Malayaha and Muslim kin? And where does queerness fit in Tamil nationalism?
Thank you to Angel Queentus, Hazel Tetteh, Imaad Majeed and Krish for sharing your stories.
Book tickets to Thayakam, screening September 20 at Reading Cinemas Auburn here.
Sound design Fr3sh by Kareem Lofty
Produced by Prinita Thevarajah