United States of Asian American Festival Event
SAFAR
A Journey of Recollections
SUN | JUN 14 | 3 PM
Creativity Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF
An immersive afternoon of dance, film, and community dialogue exploring South Asian histories at Angel Island.
THE FILM SAFAR centers on Oakland-based choreographer Joti Singh, who honors her great-grandfather Bhagwan Singh Gyanee, a member of the Ghadar Party, an anti-colonial movement, and an early South Asian immigrant who likely entered the US via Angel Island under a false name to escape surveillance.
Drawing from her dance-theater work Ghadar Geet, Joti reenacts his story at the Angel Island Immigration Station itself — moving through spaces her great-grandfather may have endured, reviving a lost history through site-specific performance.
Opening Grounding Session — arrive and settle with a guided wellness experience
Live Dance Performance — Joti Singh and Duniya Dance & Drum Company
Film Premiere — SAFAR (Journey), a hybrid short documentary by Priyanka Suryaneni
Panel Discussion — post-screening conversation
Closing Reflection — a structured community reflection inviting audience participation
