The Bangalore Queer Film Festival that will be held in the coming week, is one of the most anticipated events of the week. The three-day film festival that will be held from March 9 to 11 at the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan will showcase 88 films which, in fact, is the highest number ever shown in this particular festival so far.
Elaborating on the festival, Poorva Rajaram, co-director of the Bangalore Queer Film Festival, says "Queer cinema has come out of the closet, so to speak. We get so many more films each passing year, with a greater diversity of themes and directors. One thing that has not changed though over the years is the quality and quantity of audience participation."
The filmmakers who will be showcasing their films for the festival can't wait for it to begin. Two of the most prominent Indian films to watch out for during the festival are filmmaker Suresh Narayanan's 'Irattajeevitham' and Malini Jeevarathnam's documentary, 'Ladies and Gentlewomen'.
Suresh feels that queer film festivals play a important role in the fight for gender equality. Talking about his film, Suresh says "The title 'Irattajeevitham' is translated to 'double life' or 'dual life' and tries to describe how mainstream patriarchal society treats a transman." Malini Jeevarathnam's film 'Ladies and Gentlewomen' has been shown at several prestigious film festivals explores body politics and the stigma associated with it and also delves into LGBTQ issues. "The film is about love, life, and suicide among lesbians. I don't want society to understand forcefully accept lesbian women. This understanding will prevent many lesbian women from committing suicide," she says.
Bengaluru-based filmmaker and writer Mujeer Pasha is showcasing his film titled, 'Amar, Prem' (read as Amar comma Prem). He says that the film is about two men -Amar and Prem- who call their relationship quits and choose to be friends. But soon, loneliness rekindles longing. "The film is a take on today's relationships which follow a pattern- Date. Break Up. Repeat! Although, we accept that things are not going to last, somewhere deep down we are still hooked up to the idea of eternal love (Amar Prem)," says Mujeer. About what his films intend to convey, Mujeer says "My films have been about choices that are unapologetic and unaffected by socio-political circumstances."