Screening of National Award winning LGBT documentary in Kolkata
Sridhar Rangayan’s pathbreaking documentary is an eye-opener about human rights violations of Indian LGBTQ community
Breaking Free, the National Award winning documentary by filmmaker and activist Sridhar Rangayan, will have its Kolkata premiere on October 16th 5pm at the American Center, Kolkata.
“I am excited to screen the film in the city where it all began. Kolkata hosted the first ever pride walk in India on 2nd July, 1999. It was historic!”, said Rangayan who will present the film and participate in Q & A, “The film traces the journey of the community over the past two decades. We have gone through our highs and lows, but we have been moving on. The film is a testimony to this fortitude”.
Shot over 7 years and crisscrossing across India, Breaking Free traces the history of challenge to the colonial anti-sodomy law Sec 377. What starts off as a personal journey to unearth victimizations of LGBT persons at the hands of the law and police, the film spirals out to be a journey of an emerging community, that is rising out of the shadows and emphatically stating there is ‘No Going Back!’
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“Everyone, including the courts, have this constant refrain that Sec377 doesn’t affect the LGBT community as there are not enough convictions to prove it. Breaking Free provides concrete evidence how this draconian law has been used and misused repeatedly”, says Rangayan, “My film is an expose on the brutality faced by the community at the hands of police and blackmailers. It is time to tell the truth”.
The film has traveled to more than 22 international film festivals and has won the National Award for Best editing (non-fiction) at the 63rd National Film Awards, India and the Human Rights Award at qFLIX Philadelphia, USA. The film has also been selected to be a part of the prestigious Indian Panorama 2016 by the I & B Ministry.
The screening is being presented by US Consulate General in Kolkata in collaboration with Prantakatha and Solaris Pictures.
Prantakatha is a youth development organization which works with marginalized or excluded youth from various cross section of society, “It is always a warm feeling to have Sridhar with us and his films. As Prantakatha works with different cross section of excluded youth including queer youth, his films always help us with a right opportunity to create dialogue on issues of relevance and take whole community together in breaking free, in real sense”, said Bappaditya Mukherjee, founder and director, Prantakatha
Rangayan hopes to create awareness and sensitize people about gay, lesbian and transgender rights in India through this film, “After seeing the film you will realize that what the LGBT community is asking for is basic human rights, to live and love with dignity. This should not be denied to anyone in any country by any law”, says Rangayan, “Sec377 has to go immediately so that this violence and exploitation can stop”.
What: Breaking Free film screening
When: September 16th at 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Where: Lincoln Room, The American Center, 38-A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata-700071.
Tickets: Free event. No registration required.
**Audience members under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult.**
