'Saffron Kingdom': Film Screening & Discussion

Description

Join Johns Hopkins SAIS International Law and Daffodil Studios for the premier Washington screening of award-winning film Saffron Kingdom. Opening remarks will be provided by Khaled Beydoun, associate professor law at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

This event is free for Johns Hopkins community members.

The film is a poignant exploration of identity, exile, and resilience set against the backdrop of Kashmir's decades-long turmoil. The story spans from the 1990s insurgency in Srinagar to the political upheaval of 2019, following Masrat, a woman forced to flee her homeland after her husband's abduction. Seeking refuge in Atlanta with her young son, Rizwan, she faces the challenge of rebuilding her life while dealing with the trauma of loss and displacement.

Through their journey, Saffron Kingdom examines the intergenerational impact of conflict, the weight of memory, and the fight to preserve identity in exile. Blending personal storytelling with historical resonance, the film offers an intimate meditation on justice, belonging, and the scars of an unresolved past.

Following the screening will be a panel discussion and Q&A on the UN mediation of the Kashmir dispute and current regional challenges, including barriers to Muslim representation in film and use of art and media as a powerful tool of cultural resistance. Speakers include:

• Khaled Beydoun, associate professor law at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
• Arfat Sheikh, director of Saffron Kingdom
• Nina Gardner, SAIS adjunct lecturer
• Salam Al-Marayati, president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council
• Haris Tarin, vice president of policy and programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council

Saffron Kingdom has been highlighted in The Independent, the Kashmir Times, the Ozone Podcast, and others; won "Best Feature Film" at the Chicago Filmmakers Award, LA Film and Documentary Awards, Melbourne Independent Film Festival, and others; and has been selected for the Rome International Film Festival, ARRF Berlin, Buenos Aires International Film Festival, and Julien Dubuque International Film Festival.