Watch I is for India

I is for India is a documentary film directed by Sandhya Suri, that primarily focuses on her father's life story as he migrated from India to the United Kingdom, along with his family, in the 1960s. The film uses actual footage of their life in the UK, shot by Suri's father, to provide a personal, intimate image of their family's experiences that reflects the broader struggles of immigrant life.

The film is divided into three parts. The first part enables the audience to learn about Suri's father's journey, from his youthful days in India to him becoming a husband and a father of twins. The second part of the film concentrates on the family's new life in England and the difficulties they faced as they tried to reconcile their own traditional culture with the Western one. The final section of the film shows how the family, having grown up in the UK, goes on a trip back to India after several years.

The movie comes at the right moment as it creatively presents the topic of immigration, which has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. By drawing upon her father's story, Suri was able to touch on several of the key problems that many immigrants face when relocating to a new country. One of the central themes of the film is how Suri's father dealt with assimilating in the UK. The movie shows the family's effort to adapt to the new culture and how they tried to maintain their Indian identity.

The movie is especially mesmerizing in the way that it perfectly contrasts the similarities and differences between the two cultures. For instance, Suri's father expresses the unexpected allure of the British housing estates where they lived after being accustomed to the crowded cities of India. Likewise, the siblings themselves are proud of their Indian roots and were more connected to their ancestral country than their own parents could have imagined. Through their conversations with family members, moral and generational values that have remained strong despite geographical distance come alive in the film. The importance placed on family, hard work, generosity and close relationships so intrinsic to Indian culture is shown vividly in their daily lives.

Suri does incredibly well in showing the realities of immigrant life. The movie carefully examines the socioeconomic situations of her family and allows audiences to witness the struggles that they went through. By sharing insightful anecdotes and relatable experiences, Suri shows to her broader audience what it is like to leave one's home country and start a new life elsewhere. The movie brings to the fore a critical question, which many immigrants of today have to ask themselves: can a sense of origin, and connectedness to one’s country of birth coexist harmoniously with the realities of migration and assimilation into new cultures?

One of the most well-done aspects of the film is the seamless integration of images caught on camera by Suri's father. The use of archival family footage reveals an extraordinarily intimate experience that provides an immersive depth and richness that does not require dialogue; the visuals seamlessly convey and enhance the film's message. The filmmakers didn't have to worry much about the lack of visuals as the movie's core material had already been archived by Suri's father.

In conclusion, I is for India is a touching documentary that details an immigrant family's journey to build a new life in the UK. The movie highlights the challenges and opportunities that come with immigrating while also showcasing the complexity of retaining one's culture while assimilating into another. Suri brilliantly brings the past to life, and it feels personal, relatable, and relevant. The film carefully examines personal and economic challenges and encourages sensitivity around immigrant narratives. It is a story of hope, adaptation, and the importance of connections that define families, something that should be put up for display to the world.