| Manick Sorcar's Animation-Workshop: A Highlight
at the MIASC, University of Michigan |
| "Sorcar reminded participants how difficult it can be
to preserve rich traditional heritage in the vastly different contemporary
American culture." |
- The
Michigan Daily
|
University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor
|
Manick Sorcar
was invited as one of the 25 speakers holding workshop at the 4th
Annual Midwestern Indian American Student Conference, University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where the mission statement was "2000
Reflections: Discovering Your Inspirational Light". The
conference was attended by students from 20 universities from across
the nation, and was held on January 21, 22, 23, 2000, with great
success. The aim of the conference was to provide an atmosphere
that will ignite inspiration within each individual. As a part of
the mission, it stated "As we forge ahead into the new
millennium, it is vital to regroup and reflect on the importance
of retaining our culture and history in this dynamic environment.
Our generation faces the essential task of widening individual boundaries
so that we may unite and collectively pursue common goals in an
effort to understand and integrate different points of view. Each
step towards such an ideal, regardless of its size and nature, is
of equal significance and should be viewed as a success in our search
for a strong Indian American identity. However, in order for us
to make a full impact on the development of the Indian American
community, we must understand who we are and what we want. As with
any endeavor, we will embark upon in the future, it is essential
to know not only how to proceed, but why."
|
In his topic "Indian Culture: Will Our Children
Know?", Manick Sorcar stated that one of the great traits of
the United States is that it brings together cultures, traditions,
and customs from all over the world; in every sense, it is a true
melting pot. While the virtues of assimilation is stressed, keeping
the cultural lamp lit is important not only because 'we cherish
our roots and proud of our rich heritage, but because it is a necessity'.
Manick Sorcar spoke to show how he put his artistic
side to work in order to educate his American-born daughters and
attract them to the riches of Indian culture. The effort paid off
resulting in the family production of a number of song
cassettes, dance programs,
and unique animation shorts all based
on Indian fables, which won top awards
at international film festivals. The cultural bridge, which was
originally intended to bridge the gap at home, soon became popular
not only with other Indians, but with Americans as well. Today,
Sorcar's animation are shown on public televisions, libraries, and
at schools on a regular basis.
Sorcar's speech was followed by three of his award-winning animation,
75 minutes total. Manick Sorcar was originally invited to hold only
one workshop. But due to heavy demand, his workshop was held three
times, each session in a packed hall, the only workshop to get that
honor.
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