Pro
Smriti Keshari
Biography
Keshari is known for her acclaimed multi-media installation, The Bomb, which was heralded as “a stunning avant-garde approach to a plea for nuclear disarmament.” The Bomb is a film and music installation that puts viewers in the center of the story of nuclear weapons. It has been shown throughout the world in film festivals (Berlinale, Tribeca), music festivals (Glastonbury), art institutions, on Netflix and at the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Keshari is an Indian-American director and artist whose work covers a spectrum of the moving image from traditional, linear filmmaking to art installations. She brings an experimental approach to exploring under-represented themes and experiences outside the mainstream, which spark social dialogue. She is an artist in residence with the National Theater and Pioneer Works. Her work has been supported by the MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation, and more. She has spoken about art and social change at the United Nations, BBC, SXSW, Bloomberg Philanthropy and TED. She was a TED Prize finalist and 2016 Foreign Policy's Global Creative Thinker. Keshari brings a collaborative spirit to all her projects, previously having created work with the author Eric Schlosser (Command and Control, Fast Food Nation), artist Stanley Donwood (Radiohead), rock band The Acid and others. Previously, Keshari was a producer of the feature-length documentary, Food Chains, that premiered overseas at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival and in the United States at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Narrated by Forest Whitaker and featuring commentary by Eva Longoria and Eric Schlosser, it looked at the plight of American farm workers, a subject too often neglected by the contemporary food movement. Food Chains received the 2015 James Beard award for Best Film. The New York Times called it "Rousing….empathic and empathetic." And U.S. News & World Report says it's “a tremendously important new movie…watch this powerful film."