[Guest Author : Perniciously]
I spent four whole days attending Mumbai’s first International Queer Film Festival – something I had been looking forward to for the last three months, ever since I got to know that a colleague in Hindustan Times was writing a story about a “gay film festival”.
110 films were to be shown. I honestly have lost count of how many I managed to catch. In fact, I wasn’t trying to keep count at all. What I do know is that I love to have had the chance to be at one of India’s first Queer Film Festivals.
The films were an insane mixture of educational, entertaining and probing. There was a documentary about an Indian photographer who captures queer Indians through his lens. His work was astounding – stark nudity instead of the Bollywood soft porn that the mainstream churns out, he argued. He is also HIV+ which brought up another issue – the taboo of being an HIV+ person. It was quite an eye opener, because I have never really thought about it before – how it would feel to be shunned firstly for being gay and secondly for being HIV+. I like things that stir you up and make you think – and such were most of the films that followed.
I also watched this film called Oh Happy Day, and it’s most definitely the cutest gay rom-com I have ever seen. It was such an amazing feeling to hear the audience go “Aw!” when Jonathan and David kiss for the first time and to hear them cheer and applaud when they get back together in the end (quite a cheesy Bollywood-type ending, but cute nonetheless). Maybe someday, queer films will run in mainstream cinemas with mainstream audiences and the reaction would be the same. In the meanwhile, I’d suggest you get your hands on a copy of this film. It’s lovely.
What I really would have wanted in the whole Kashish experience would be more queer women visibility. There were such few women (both attending and volunteering) – which was quite disappointing. Even during the panel discussion – there were no queer women on the panel. Not one. It brings up another underlying issue of how it’s possibly harder for queer women to get out of the closet and out in the open as activists. I hope, this will change in the years to come.
I am also quite happy that my not-so-queer friends came in for the festival.
And now, I can’t wait for the Queer Azadi March. I love being a part of these events for they make me feel like a part of a process, a change in the making.
For those of you who missed Kashish, I really do hope to see you there next year.
xoxo (I...
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Thanks for the pointer- I’ll check out “Oh Happy Day” first chance I get!
Re: women…I’m not female, but I suspect much of their absence is from family pressures. Despite advances, women are still a far greater loss than men if they’re turned out by their families. Unless they are quite wealthy or streetwise, they can be very easily abused or worse if kicked out of their homes. This is why I think gay men should also be feminists of a sort and give support to our lesbian sisters…the “Boys only” attitude is a dangerous luxury. Sticking together is crucial.
Yes i agree very few women could be seen at PVR but I think that was more because most of the women chose alliance as a venue for seeing films. At least thats what they planned to, I was at PVR so i can’t bet on that.
I agree with ‘Beruwala’ we need to stick together. Supporting to his views, I would like to include transgenders and transexuals as well in providing support. I think they have a tougher time than we women (bisexuals and lesbians).
Like you ‘Pernicuously’ I also dream for a day when films on queer subjects will be screened as mainstream films and am confident that if the film is good enough that should happen soon. And am also waiting desperately for the QAM. Hope to see you guys there.
Great post!
Hi, someone just drew my attention to this article…hence, the belated reply. I felt that many lesbians participated in Kashish, either as volunteers or as audience. And, yes, we were a majority on that particular Friday when Kashish screened many LBT women documentaries, films, etc.
The most important issue is that women who come out of the closet DO NOT have to be activists to enjoy life and take part in events….and coming out does not necessarily make them activists. Case in point – I am out there (way out there!) and don’t consider myself an activist AND I do facilitate many things within the community (Queer-Ink, The L Lounge, Counselling Unit, QAM, etc.)
I am also a core member of Kashish organizing committee – I did not wait to be invited rather invited myself into this group, so there is a lesbian presence even in organizing this amazing event.
There is always space for more queer women – we can always shuffle the boys over to claim a space within Kashish if we want….and trust me, they have no qualms in working with many more Queer women to organize the Kashish 2011. Contact Kashish [kashishmqff@gmail.com] and quote me or contact me directly.