Festival 6th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Yamini Walia tells you about the four films that are the highlight of this year’s KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Four films — Alex & Ali, No Easy Walk to Freedom, Boy Meets Girl and Qissa — based on themes of prejudice, human rights violations and acceptance are at the centre of attention at the 6th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Festival director Sridhar Rangayan tells us, “The reason that these four films are being highlighted as centrepiece films is because they resonate with this year’s theme — Reaching Out, Touching Hearts. The films are about acceptance of diversity — whether it’s diversity in ethnicity, age, gender, sex or sexual orientation — by society, families, friends and, most importantly, those we love.”
While the documentary film Alex & Ali is a real-life love story about two men — an American and an Iranian — separated for three decades before being reunited, the other documentary, No Easy Walk To Freedom, traces human rights violations that take place due to section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The other two centrepiece films — Boy Meets Girl (USA) and Qissa (India) — have their own take on gender conformity. While the American film is a funny romantic comedy that highlights society’s prejudices, the Indian film is a dark cultural drama that exposes our society’s obsession with the male child.
When From May 27 to 30
Where Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay and Max Mueller Bhavan
Contact www.mumbaiqueerfest.com