The man who was killed in yesterdays altercation was none other than well known film-maker, Mani Amar. 40 years of age, he was found dead on the scene after getting into a physical argument with a neighbour. The individual was arrested on the scene, and is currently in police custody. We were the first to pronounce the victims name, as we got tips from individuals who were relatively close with Mani.
After doing some research, we found his great documentaries that are based on gang-violence and the overall drug trade. Two of the biggest issues that we are constantly speaking out against, and therefore we looked at Mani as an inspiration. He came to prominence after the release in “A Warrior’s Religion”, a fascinating documentary that brings overall awareness in Sikhism and the gangsterism that is tied to the religion, specifically in the west. It’s an excellent documentary and we have linked it down below, after The Decrepit; which was made for less than $5,000, a fraction of the budget Amar had for his award-winning documentary A Warrior’s Religion or his follow-up fictional film Footsteps into gangland.
The Decrepit is also outstanding, and it tackles the drug epidemic in the province of British Columbia.
And the more popular one, that even featured a very well known gangster – Bal Buttar.
Buttar, a self-described hit man, was left blind and unable to move from the neck down in 2001 after he was shot twice in the head. He allowed Mani to conduct a very personal interview.
A Warriors Religion was kind of tough to find online, and we weren’t able to get a valid link to embed into our post. If you would like to watch the nearly 2 hour entire documentary – click on the link below.
https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/9756/A-Warrior-s-Religion
A Warrior’s Religion :Director: Mani Amar | Producer: Mani Amar
Genre: Documentary | Produced In: 2009 | Story Teller’s Country: CanadaTags: Americas, Belief, Canada, Conflict, Race, Religion, Violence
Synopsis: The idea for this documentary, “A Warrior’s Religion,” has been germinating in my mind for the past three years. Growing up in a small town on Vancouver Island, I was insulated from many of the problems that have shaken the South Asian community in the greater Vancouver area; I am now familiar with the epidemic proportions of South Asian youth violence. Grim statistics, such as the death of over 100 South Asian males in their twenties over the last 19 years, led me to pursue my idea.
The documentary is poetic in nature and told in the manner of an unbiased editorial. It features interviews with community leaders, media personalities, and other prominent figures in the South Asian community, along with historical references, news footage, crime statistics, South Asian youth interviews, and cultural comparisons.
My goal is to bring awareness to anyone who has misconceptions about South Asian culture, including those within the South Asian community itself. Although strong references are made toward Sikhism, this documentary will relate its issues to other cultures and communities as well.
Sikhism is a predominant religion in the South Asian community in greater Vancouver. And, statistics show that most of the gang-related murder victims were Sikh. I believe awareness is most needed within this group. As a Sikh, I am able to use my own knowledge and personal experiences to communicate this awareness.
