The Lost Voices of Partition – Northumbria University

Commissioned by Dr. Nafhesa Ali (Northumbria University) and the Glasgow Women’s Library, this animation showcases the stories of older South Asian women (who were young children or were born shortly after the Partition of India and the newly formed state of Pakistan) touching on the themes of mass migration, dislocation, trauma, silence, loss, love and hope. Held across 8 sessions at the Glasgow Women’s Library in 2023, these women gathered together in defiance of the old saying “No one wants to talk about partition”, and wrote poetry together, told stories, and shared experiences. The narrative is a collaboratively written poem which tells difficult truths and highlights the resilience of the women who survived Partition.

This piece, due to its deeply personal subject matter, felt important to treat with great care — as a result, much of it is hand-drawn (traditional cel animation). To date, it features the most hand-drawn animation of any piece I’ve completed. Finding the delicate balance between honouring the revelations of the women’s suffering while not re-traumatising with graphic depictions was challenging.

The piece is currently in festival submission, and has been accepted to 12 festivals so far and awarded an Honourable Mention and Best Animation nomination. Trailer available now – full animation will be available mid-2024.