One man's "Unspoken" event
By: Chelsea Rarrick
Updated: October 13, 2011
The human rights film, arts, and music festival is underway.
The event began at a Utica coffee shop on Thursday evening, and one man shared his experience about filming and writing his own documentary in his hometown in India.
Shuja Paul says he created a documentary about a small beautiful place in the northern mountains of India in the Himalayan range. Paul says it is a place that a lot of people don't know about.
Paul along with several others shared their stories Thursday night with people at the Tram Cafe in Utica.
The storytelling was part of a three day Unspoken Festival, which is a human rights event that combines film, art, and music.
"We're giving this personal reflection upon stories and the poets that are dealing with human rights issues," said Gregory Mirell, the host of Utica Poet's Society.
Paul, who was born in Kashmir, a northern part of India, wanted the audience to understand what his hometown was like.
"This is a place that I'm connected with because I was born there. I wanted to tell this story of this beautiful place that a lot of people don't know about. My goal in film making is to tell the truth about different places," said Paul.
The documentary took four months to film, and Paul made sure to touch on his favorite parts about the area.
"I show a little bit of beautiful places in Kashmir. I show the mountains, the lakes, the people. I show the craft," said Paul.
Paul moved to The United States in 1994, and says it has been quite the journey.
However, he will never forget where he came from.
"It is part of me, you know, wherever you were born. I'm connected to it. When I came back, it was like going back to my roots," said Paul.
Paul's film will debut at the Unspoken Festival on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The event began at a Utica coffee shop on Thursday evening, and one man shared his experience about filming and writing his own documentary in his hometown in India.
Shuja Paul says he created a documentary about a small beautiful place in the northern mountains of India in the Himalayan range. Paul says it is a place that a lot of people don't know about.
Paul along with several others shared their stories Thursday night with people at the Tram Cafe in Utica.
The storytelling was part of a three day Unspoken Festival, which is a human rights event that combines film, art, and music.
"We're giving this personal reflection upon stories and the poets that are dealing with human rights issues," said Gregory Mirell, the host of Utica Poet's Society.
Paul, who was born in Kashmir, a northern part of India, wanted the audience to understand what his hometown was like.
"This is a place that I'm connected with because I was born there. I wanted to tell this story of this beautiful place that a lot of people don't know about. My goal in film making is to tell the truth about different places," said Paul.
The documentary took four months to film, and Paul made sure to touch on his favorite parts about the area.
"I show a little bit of beautiful places in Kashmir. I show the mountains, the lakes, the people. I show the craft," said Paul.
Paul moved to The United States in 1994, and says it has been quite the journey.
However, he will never forget where he came from.
"It is part of me, you know, wherever you were born. I'm connected to it. When I came back, it was like going back to my roots," said Paul.
Paul's film will debut at the Unspoken Festival on Saturday at 1 p.m.
