Transgender True Story at Heart of Indian Film Festival
The punk rock of Indian film festivals returns to London in July with a powerful Transgender central gala supported by MAC cosmetics, amongst others.
The Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival returns to cinemas across London from 14 – 21 July. The full lineup will be revealed shortly and promises some of the most prestigious and audacious new independent films from South Asia.
Indian sexual diversity is highlighted in the empowering Transgender movie “I Am Not He… She”.
It tells the, at times, harrowing real-life story of rural teenage boy Madesha, who after being thrown out of his village for being effeminate seeks solace and hope in the big Indian city of Bangalore. Here, he meets Gay people living secretive lives, but soon forms a bond with the head mother of the local Hijra community (the Transgender and Eunuch people of India), who take him to their heart. Learning the tricks of the traditional Hijra trade, Madesha is soon on the streets begging, but his desire to feel complete by becoming a woman becomes increasingly strong. He follows other Hijra friends towards the most dangerous journey of his life – to a back-street sex change clinic where he hopes his transformation to womanhood will be fulfilled.
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- A Girl in The River
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- Ramsingh Charlie
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- Parched
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- Arshinagar
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- Kamal Hassan
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- Shekhar Kapur
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- Brahman Naman
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- I Am Not He… She
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- LIFF Closing 2015 – Manisha Koirala
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- Parched
The European Premiere of “I’m Not He…She” will take place at the cathedral of world cinema – BFI Southbank, at NFT1 on Saturday 16th July at 8.30 pm.
It will be followed by a Q&A with director BS Lingadevaru, with other special guests expected.
This is followed by Queer Rules! Party for LGBTQ+ Friends at BFI’s Benugos Bar, with Bollywood & World music sounds, supported by DJ’s from Club Kali, Urban Desi and Urban World.
The best dressed person on the night, receives a fabulous VIP Goody-Bag of MAC cosmetics, so it’s one not to be missed.
Commenting on the BFI Southbank sessions, Director of the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Cary Rajinder Sawhney states:
“We continue to pursue an agenda of seeing India in all its miraculous diversity, and that includes powerful and positive representations of LGBTQ+ people, as depicted in a new generation of cinema”.
Title Sponsor Alka Bagri of the Bagri Foundation says:
“The selection for this year’s festival celebrates the challenging and refreshing visions, coming from the Indian film industry”.
For more information on the festival please visit www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk