Discussion Abstract:
This webinar takes as a point of departure from Gogularajaan Rajendran’s filmmaking practice at the intersection of Tamil indentured labourers and plantation folk songs. Through his exploration on the embodied archive of soundscape, memory, and storytelling, not only he confronts the extractive reality of colonial modes of plantation but also foregrounds the affective and ethical dimensions of listening to what the archive and its people omit.
Centering on dignity, consent, and collective remembrance, the discussion also draws on the possibilities to reclaim narratives from the sites of trauma and struggle. How can archiving become a generative space for healing, solidarity, and imagination? Is it possible to strategise archive as a relational and transformative politics of care?
Speaker: Gogularaajan Rajendran
Gogularaajan is a Kuala Lumpur-based filmmaker dedicated to telling Malaysian Tamil stories, blending horror and humour through provocative, poetic approaches. As a descendant of South Indian indentured labourers brought by the British to Malaya, he feels compelled to voice the untold stories of his ancestors.
Discussant: Noor Netusha Nusaybah
Noor Netusha Nusaybah is the co-founder of Imagined Malaysia, an organisation that aims to promote historical literacy and engage with the issues of the day from a historically- informed perspective. Noor graduated with a MPhil in World History from the University of Cambridge as a recipient of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Fund at St Catharine’s College. She previously attained a Bachelors in International Relations from the University of Nottingham Malaysia. Her research interests include history of political thought, Islamic studies, Asian studies and international development.
Moderator: Barathi Selvam
Barathi Selvam is an academic, researcher, activist, and film enthusiast pursuing a PhD on representation, ideology, and identity construction of marginalised communities in Malaysian Indian cinema. With a passion for exploring the realms of art, politics, and cinema, he envisions a classless and discrimination-free world.
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This event is organised by Pusat Sejarah Rakyat (PSR) as part of the Under The Banana Tree’s Archival Network in Southeast Asia and our publicity partner, Imagined Malaysia. It is a collaboration with History Department, Bristol University and funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK Research and Innovation
