LGBT-themed films from India and the South Asian region are extremely rare. Filmmakers often risk their jobs and lives, facing myriad funding and distribution challenges, to make meaningful films about the beauty, complexity and richness of queer life in South Asia.
Saturday September 27th, 2008 at 2:30pm.
68 Pages (Sridhar Rangayan, India, 2007, 92min): Spotlight on the impact of HIV/AIDS in urban India told through five poignant stories of a gay couple, a prostitute, a drag queen, a bisexual man, and a counselor.
Inspired by the diary of a counselor working at an AIDS service NGO in Mumbai, India, “68 Pages” is a landmark collaboration between an acclaimed filmmaker and Mumbai’s oldest NGO providing services to MSM (men who have sex with men). “68 Pages” humanizes the HIV/AIDS epidemic in urban India by giving voice to five complex characters. This is AIDS in India that you will not find in scientific journals or newspaper articles. Directed by openly gay Mumbai-based filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan this is a breakthrough film—in terms of content and style—that has stirred controversy in India and abroad.
In fact, one-third of the 5th Independent South Asian Film Festival (ISAFF) is queer focused. Here are the highlights:
Saturday September 27th, 2008, 12:00pm
Panel “Gender & Sexuality in Independent Films”:
Visiting directors and guests will discuss representations of LGBT South Asians in independent films with a comparative analysis to such representations in more popular forums such as Bollywood cinema. Panelists: Gayatri Gopinath, Sonali Gulati, Pratibha Parmar, Veena Sood. Moderator: Sandip Roy.
Saturday September 27th, 2008, 4:30pm
A Jihad for Love (Parvez Sharma, USA/multiple countries, 2008, 81min): Lesbian and gay Muslims from 12 countries tell their stories. Followed by extended discussion with director Parvez Sharma and local activists.
Saturday September 27th, 2008, 8:00pm
Queering Bollywood: Alternative Sexualities in Popular Indian Cinema: Bollywood musicals are known world-wide as feverish, Felliniesque song-and-dance escapades that would give Baz Luhrman the run for his money and make Busby Berkeley films look like the work of a rank amateur. But how queer are Bollywood films? What about those swarthy men with the oh-so-gay hip-swinging and doe-eyed, beautiful actresses seducing male and female audiences with their pouting and histrionics? Academic Gayatri Gopinath, PhD wrote the seminal book that decodes queer imagery in the world’s largest film industry. We invite you to a rare opportunity to watch a clip show and presentation by Gopinath and journalist Sandip Roy on queer images in Bollywood cinema.
Saturday September 27th, 2008, 2:30pm Mini Theater
Comedy Improv Workshop with actress and comedienne Veena Sood
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to take this workshop by Veena Sood, an award-winning actress best known for her starring roles in gay favorites “A Touch of Pink” and “Nina’s Heavenly Delights”.
Sunday September 28th, 2008, 1:00pm (Mini Theater, Free)
ACLF CLP 2008 Presents: Documentary on mixed-orientation relationships In partnership with Tasveer, ACLF Community Leadership Program Batch 2008 is showcasing a documentary on mixed-orientation relationships. Mixed-orientation relationships are defined as relationships in which the partners are of a differing sexual orientation.
Visit ISAFF online for schedule and tickets. Festival site: Broadway Performance Hall at the Seattle Central Community College on Capitol Hill. Do not miss this weekend’s rare presentation of breakthrough gay cinema.
Indian snacks and chai is available for a minimal cost at all screenings.
