The Bhangra Generation

Director: R. Paul Dhillon
Length: 48’ 30”
Format: Beta SP
Year of Production: 2008

The Bhangra Generation is an electrifying, entertaining and enlightening film on the fast growing phenomenon called Bhangra and how it has influenced the young generation of South Asians in the West. The film is the first of its kind sociological-musical documentary that examines the lives of the second generation of Indo-Canadians who have been impacted by this music.

The film examines the lives of four Indo-Canadian artists, who are making their mark in the world through dance and music. Most prominent of the four is international Bhangra superstar Jazzy B.

Bhangra, which originated as both a dance form and a musical form in the Northern Indian state of Punjab, has become an integral part of the worldwide Punjabi culture and Diaspora, playing a revolutionary role akin to black music in America in shaping the identity of Non Resident Indians in the West.

According to tradition, the word Bhangra comes from an intoxicating harvest drink called Bhang (Siva's herb) which the farmers drank in celebration of finishing their spring harvest. Like the drink – Bhangra music has its own intoxication with its rhythms and beats working like a snake charmer.

Available: World excluding North America, UK and India.

Return To Music

Words From The City

Running Time: 90’
Shooting Gauge: HD
Completed: 2008

Words from the City is a feature documentary exploring Australian hip hop through intimate and candid observations of some of the most potent and compelling MCs.

Focusing on the unique lyrical and verbal artistry of the form, the film follows a diverse range of artists from around the country, including Wire MC, Hilltop Hoods, Downsyde, Layla, Koolism, Bliss N Eso, Maya Jupiter, TZU and MC Trey. From social and political rage to personal and cultural storytelling, from laneways and parks to festivals and nightclubs, the film explores the diverse environments that shape these artists and their urge to make their voices heard.

Filmed across one long hot summer against the backdrop of an increasingly conservative mainstream, Words from the City follows the daily lives of these artists at the vanguard of Australian hip hop, a movement that is exploding onto the musical landscape as one of our most powerful and energetic creative forms.

For each of these artists, hip hop is deeply connected to their lived experience and the environment in which they live, work and perform. captures the cultural landscape and heartbeat of the cities that inspire these artists, shaping their diverse identities and unique Australian voices. Drawing on vibrant interviews, live performances and observational footage, celebrates the way that hip hop has been embraced as a powerful form of political and cultural expression and a potent form of resistance.

Return To Music