MERLODRAMA!

5-7 December 2025
The Deep End

MERLODRAMA! was a weekend of screenings and events dedicated to the legacy of film star Merle Oberon. Curated to question the historical forces that compelled her to conceal her mixed Sri Lankan, Indian, and British heritage to maintain a white identity until her death in 1979. Inspired by Michelle Williams Gamaker’s forthcoming work Strange Evidence.

Co-currated with artists Aqsa Arif and Kialy Tihngang, this micro-season paired classic melodrama titles with contemporary artists' moving image to explore representations of race and resistance on screen under the Hays Code. The weekend featured film screenings, workshops, discussions, and culminated in a Nollywood/Bollywood double bill with a community meal between screenings.