Deepa Nair's work spans across documentary, experimental filmmaking and dance. She grew up in India and her work is deeply informed by her cultural roots.Her video work explores the relationship between body, memory, trauma, movement, dance and affect. She is especially interested in ritualistic and ethnic dance forms as sites of sacred connectivity and heightened affect.
Her first experimental experimental video work, Navarasa, the Awakening, was selected to be part of International Video Exhibit at Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland in 2020. Her recent short documentary, The Nangiarkoothu Artist, is the official selection at multiple film festivals.
Deepa holds an MPhil in English Literature from the University of Delhi, India and a MA in Cinema Studies from San Francisco State University. She was an Associate Professor of English Literature and taught Literature and cinema courses at undergraduate level in New Delhi, India.She currently teaches Film Studies and Documentary Film Production
at Chabot College.
Deepa serves as the Art Commissioner of San Mateo County, representing district 2. She is also a dance practitioner, trained in the classical Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam.
ACTIVE PROJECTS
Un/Home, a series of experimental screen dance film on home and the immigrant identity.
Stage- Post Production
Funding status- Self funded and looking for support in grant and funds for production and support in distribution, particularly in video art gallery submissions
Crunch Cakes
A short profile documentary on a beloved bakery run by 85 year Claire Mack, San Mateo's first African American woman to hold the position of mayor for three terms.
Stage- In Production
Self funded and looking for grants to bring this powerful film to completion.