It was a joy hearing from Italian Studies/Dodge alum Ayuj Consul! Ayuj has always been a dedicated learner of Italian. Now, he continues this interest post-graduation in his hometown, New Delhi, in connection to his artistic pursuits.
“After graduating from Chapman in 2022, I returned to New Delhi, India. I knew that wherever I lived, I wanted to continue building on my connection with the Italian language and culture. However, at the time, I didn’t know any places in Delhi where I could continue my Italian journey.
Searching for cultural events, I discovered the Istituto Italiano della Cultura (Italian Cultural Center) here in New Delhi. There, I attended concerts, film screenings, and art exhibits; most memorably, I attended a retrospective dedicated to the films of Pier Paolo Pasolini, where I had the honor of meeting the Italian Ambassador to India. I got to know new teachers and other institute staff who were all Italians posted in India. The discussions with them were invaluable, we shared a deep admiration for each other’s country and culture. More recently, I have also been involved with the Institute’s activities, volunteering as a film curator and presenter for their screenings. The screenings and introductory notes I prepare for them are a way to share my love for Italy and her cinema with the people of Delhi, in my mind, doing my little bit to bring the two countries that much closer.
My work as a writer, artist, and filmmaker continues to be influenced by my time studying Italian at Chapman and a summer I spent on the Italian immersion travel course to southern Italy. Earlier this year, I had an article and photos describing my impressions of Salento published by Globally Rooted Magazine. I also continue to write poems, stories, and ideas for films in Italian that I hope to develop into larger projects one day.
More than anything, learning Italian has served as a bridge to a whole treasure of knowledge that would otherwise be inaccessible to me. There are many Italian books, lectures, and interviews with artists that haven’t been translated into English and would thus be opaque to me if not for my time studying the language. Overall, I believe that the connections – personal, professional, intellectual – that I have built over Italian are some of the most meaningful to me, and I am incredibly grateful to the Italian Studies program and my professors for building a platform from which I could embark upon this journey.”
Grazie Ayuj! Tienici informati e auguri per tutto!
– I professori di Chapman Italian Studies
