Original tape date: September 22, 2016.

 

Short Docs’s first season starts with the streaming of Dastaar: Defending Sikh Identity, directed by Kevin Lee. The short film describes the challenges facing the Sikh community in a post-9/11 New York City that erroneously associates the Sikh turban (or dastaar) with terrorism and Islamic extremists. The piece introduces the often misunderstood South Asian religion to the viewing public, and documents the success of community activism. An interview of Sapreet Kaur, Sikh Coalition Executive Director, accompanies the streaming of the short film.