Dialogue and Debate

By Shahana Dattagupta

Day 4 of ISAFF was an intense day. Not only because the core programming focusing on LGBTQ issues was featured on Saturday, but also because it was inherently discussion rich. In a way, the essence of this festival – to spur dialogue and debate – was experienced in full volume.

The day began with a panel discussion on Gender and Sexuality in Independent Films, featuring 4 prominent women whose work in film making, acting, or in academia has been ground-breaking in the area of queer representation in South Asian films. To me, it was interesting to hear the various perspectives and motivations for each artist’s work. Pratibha Parmar, the most senior of the lot, saw herself as activist first – and to her, filmmaking was the avenue she chose for activism, not a career. Veena Sood, actress and comedienne, has worked in several films representing queer issues, including Parmar’s recent Nina’s Heavenly Delights. She is seizing the opportunity that is being offered by the more open climate today, which was not available to her when she first became an actress. Sonali Gulati’s perspective was strongly influenced by her upbringing in India, and the fact that “coming out” is still such a difficult or impossible process for many fellow-Indians. Gayatri Gopinath, bringing the perspective of a historian and critic, had the independent, outside view of a Foucault-like observer. The panel discussion, moderated by the eloquent and quick-witted Sandeep Roy, had many defining moments. For me, one was the discussion on emerging visibility of queer issues in mainstream South Asian film and imagery. How much was appropriate? Who should be the author or editor of this visibility? Could greater visibility be counter-productive and even dangerous? These were some of the questions actively debated.

After an unexpectedly charming low-budget film 68 Pages, which explored a whole matrix of issues revolving around homosexuality, transsexual and transgender issues, AIDS, and socio-cultural context, the afternoon’s feature A Jihad for Love opened to a packed audience. Seattle native Afrose Ahmed introduced the film along with filmmaker Parvez Sharma himself, and her introduction was credited by Sharma as the most eloquent of any he has had worldwide, after having shown the film in 25 countries to 700,000 people! The film was incredibly moving, to say the least. Tracing the stories of people in 5 different countries struggling with the same essential question - Does Islam have a place for a “different” person like me? – one begins to have a very personal association with these people and their Jihad. How terribly heartbreaking can it be to have to make a choice – a choice between one’s bodily reality and one’s faith, family and homeland? Does such a terrible choice have to be made? Where can the answers be found? In the intense post-film discussion, one audience member asked, “Why must the answer (for all those people portrayed) always come from Islam?” My biggest take away was from Parvez’s comments: “Any reform can only come from the believers. External critique of a religion is counter-productive, as is constant theological debate. We must front theology with humanity.”

The post-film discussion carried on in more informal tones when Iftar was served over “gupshup.” It has got to be a rare opportunity to be able to socialize and talk-in depth to ground-breaking filmmakers and actors. The evening closed with more debate and dialogue, enabled by the presentation “Queering Bollywood: Alternative Sexualities in Popular Indian Cinema” by Sandeep Roy and Gayatri Gopinath. It was very interesting to trace through the imagery the presenters provided, the shift from covert representations of alternative sexualities to overt ones in the post-Fire times. Again the question was raised – does this relatively recent explicit imagery act in the service of understanding alternative sexuality with greater empathy? Does it perhaps take away from the more unspoken permissiveness of the covert times?

It is hard to believe that today is already the last day of this incredible film festival. Today’s program will be re-organized to close with a second screening of Eviction and accompanying dialogue with the Seattle-based refugees from Bhutan, offering them a unique space for sharing and expression. Today’s planned features include representation of more community-based issues in 3 short films on HIV+/AIDS by acclaimed filmmakers Santosh Sivan, Mira Nair and Vishal Bhardwaj, A Tasveer Youth Initiative, and an ACLF presentation on mixed-orientation relationships. The films Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears and Donkey in Lahore explore cross-cultural love, and Kagbeni by Bhusan Dahal presents new heights in Nepali filmmaking.

See you there!