Leaving a lasting impression

MOVIE TIME

In spite of the World Cup, large crowds were seen at the venue. The final day was a true delight for the movie buffs and began with I am that, a short documentary about the life and loves of hijras in India. The venue which was thronged by movie buffs and people of the LGBT community alike was a nice eclectic mix of people who mingled without any prejudices. People were seen having animated discussions about the movies or generally catching up on life.

The afternoon session had its share of amazing movies and not so great ones.  Shayad, a movie based on a girl hoping her gay friend was her lover, left many in the audience laughing hysterically. Another movie that addressed the issue of the circumstances of a physically handicapped transgender person was Challenge. Even among transgenders, female to male transgenders are hardly spoken about. An eye-opener on this issue, the movie left many in the audience thinking about the issue.

Rendez-vous Pictures lived up to the high expectations of the audience with yet another romantic comedy Elvis & Madona, a Portugese movie by the Brazilian director Marcelo Laffitte. The movie dealing with an unusual subject, a love story between a young lesbian Elvis and a transvestite Madona, was a big hit with the audience.

Another highlight of the evening was a spectacular drag performance by Adam Pasha, alias Xara. Xara hit all the right notes with It’s Raining Men and her own version of I Will Survive which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. Xara said, “It is the first time, I am entertaining people of the same community, who otherwise need to go abroad to view a drag act. Drag is nothing but the spoof of a real woman. It is still to be widely accepted in India, abroad you can walk into a drag act even during the
daytime.”

Awards were given away to movies that were considered the best at the film festival. Brotherhood won the best full length feature film while Kusum won the best short film, both from the jury’s perspective and the audience perspective. A double bill of
Argentinean film-maker Lucia Puenzo’s, El Nino Pez and XXY, both beautifully made, left a lasting impression on the audience and marked the end of a wonderful event.