"Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity, and Stereotypes": Panel discussion with filmmaker Harleen Singh

“Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes”: Panel Discussion with Filmmaker Harleen Singh

Friday, October 2, 2020
12:30 pm ET / 9:30 am PT
RSVP here

Presented by the Asian Film and Media Initiative (AFMI).

Please join us for a panel discussion with filmmaker Harleen Singh, Cinema Studies Ph.d candidate Navnidhi Sharma and Professor Radha Hegde (Department of Media, Culture, and Communication), moderated by Professor Zhen Zhang (Director of AFMI).

Watch Drawn Together on Kanopy via Bobst Library (with NYU login) or rent the film on Vimeo.

About the Film

With a lively backdrop of superheroes, comic books, and animated comics, Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes brings together three talented artists—a Sikh, a woman, and an African American—who are challenging the racist stereotyping currently endemic in America through their work.

The documentary provides the rare opportunity to explore the subjects of race, gender, and religion stereotyping through the universally popular medium of comic books and cartoons. Drawn Together boldly encourages viewers to unlearn stereotyping, look beyond the obvious, and confront media prejudices—all through an uncommon and inherently engaging everyday source.

Expert commentary is provided by Professor Arvind Singhal, world renowned expert in entertainment education; Andrew Farago, the curator of San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum; and Adam Elrashidi, a cartoonist and a producer at Al Jazeera. They share their thoughts on how to solve the problem of racist stereotyping through changing the stories being told and discuss how the three profiled artists have brought about a groundswell movement to combat the way we traditionally look at racist stereotypes.

About the filmmaker

Harleen Singh is an award winning documentary filmmaker committed to telling stories that inspire viewers to look beyond their limitations and achieve their goals. She was born in Wellington and raised in 17 cities across India and U.S. Social issues affecting minorities are a central theme in her work since the beginning of her career at The History Channel and National Geographic Channel. She lives in California with her husband and two adorable daughters.