The Bengali: An Evening of Film and the Power of Storytelling

Join us for an evening of film, conversation, and community at the Wende Museum as we explore the stories we inherit, the identities we carry, and the unexpected connections that shape our world. In The Bengali, named one of Nonfics’ Top 20 Documentaries, director Kavery Kaul takes an American woman to India to uncover the past of her grandfather, Shaik Mohamed Musa. He was one of the early group of men who arrived in the late nineteenth century and married African-American women. Her unlikely quest triggers a boldly different encounter between East and West. A personal search becomes a deeper journey into culture, memory, and identity, breaking barriers and building bridges, revealing how histories travel, and families form across unexpected places. The Bengali has inspired the #UnderOurSun impact campaign, a digital storyteling movement that invites everyone to share their own cultural heritage and lived experience. Through in-person screenings, lively panel discussions, and digital storytelling, the campaign sparks timely conversation about migration and belonging. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists calls The Bengali “a lyrical and poetic documentary that shows how stories and presumptions can change, forging connections that are rich and real — not just to the past, but to the world at large.” Program 6:00 PM — Reception 6:30 PM — Doors Open 6:45 PM — Film Screening 8:15 PM — Conversation & Audience Q&A Featuring: Kavery Kaul, Director, The Bengali Julie Carmen, Actress, Producer Najla Zaidi, Director, MPAC® Hollywood Bureau Moderated by: Lorraine Ali, News and Culture Critic, LA Times