Sappho for Equality is organizing the third Media LGBT Interface on 3rd October 2015, 6 pm to 8 pm at Rotary Sadan, Kolkata. This event will be a platform to create dialogues between film-makers, film critics and scholars, representatives from media houses, students, researchers, LGBTIQ activists and anyone who wants to participate in the programme.
The aim of the programme is to talk about the politics of representation of LGBTIQ issues in popular films and to engage in a dialogue with film-makers, film critics and scholars, students and activists.
Popular cinema in the Indian context started to seriously engage with homosexuality and LGBTIQ identities around the 1990s, a subject that was always a taboo bound by moral restrictions. Notable amongst this was Fire (Deepa Mehta, 1996), which, although different from the typical popular genre, triggered public discussion on homosexuality around the time. Since then popular cinema directly engaged with LGBTIQ issues through films such as Girlfriend (Karan Razdaan, 2004), My Brother Nikhil (Onir, 2005), I AM (Onir, 2010) and many more. Films such as Page 3 (Madhur Bhandarkar, 2005), Student of the Year (Karan Johar, 2012) portrayed same-sex desires and relationships in the peripheral narrative of the film. In recent times the LGBTIQ issues are being discussed more frequently through films. Nationally as well as regionally a number of films have emerged where LGBTIQ identities are represented in the main plot or sub-plot of the film.
The objective of this programme is to discuss the representation of same-sex desire and love and LGBTIQ identities in popular films including the modality and substance of information generation. It wants to create a positive exchange of information between film makers, activists and film critics for more sensitive, real, dynamic portrayal of LGBTIQ issues in films. Since films serve as an influential mass medium, this programme aims to discuss how we may create a collaborative platform of information sharing, which can reap stories that are attractive, new, artistic and also connect to contemporary issues, lives, and aspirations.
Reel Life Real Life is a public programme. All are invited.
Date : Saturday, 3rd October 2015
Time : 5.30PM
Venue : Rotary Sadan, 94/2, Chowringhee Road, Kolkata – 20.
