QueerFest coverage in the Times of India

Film festival puts spotlight on alternate sexuality
Atul Sethi | TNN

New Delhi: The lights dim as the screen comes alive at Siddhartha Hall in Max Mueller Bhawan, venue of the Nigah Queer Fest film screening. With one short film after another on the screen depicting facets of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, the audience is hooked.

There are nods of assent as Vidya and Angel Glady, transgenders living in a small town of Tamil Nadu, pursue their quest for an identity in B Ilangovan’s film, Creatures. There are gasps when Andy and Harry, two urban males in big-town India, engage in intense lovemaking, in Amen. And there is laughter when Andy — about to get engaged to a girl and asked by his partner Harry whether he enjoys sex equally with her — replies with a straight face, ‘‘I don’t believe in pre-marital sex.’’

The films reflect the diversity of issues that the community continues to face — from social prejudices to the predicament of acknowledging their sexuality. At the Queer Fest, now in its fourth year, the celebration of queerness is unfurling with a plethora of events that range from

visual arts exhibitions to photography workshops and book launches.

The visual arts exhibit focuses on the theme of freedom, taking a cue from the Delhi High Court ruling last year, that Sec 377 of the Indian Penal Code was unconstitutional. Photography workshop too is exploring the same issues. It is conducted by photographer Sunil Gupta, who raised curiosity levels when he disclosed at a panel discussion that while he was growing up in Delhi in the 50s, the icon of the gay community was actress Meena Kumari!

In the next few days, films on male bonding, unravelling identities, religion and sexuality will be screened at the fest. Mario D’Penah, curator of the film schedule says ‘‘the fest will end with a bang, with The Big Gay Musical on December 5.’’

Apart from events and workshops, the fest has offered the queer community scope for some soul searching. Gay activist and co-ordinator of the fest Gautam Bhan says it’s now time to look at the queer community beyond their sexuality. ‘‘As Indians, we have multiple identities defined by gender, religion, language, region, caste and class. We cannot talk about equal rights for the queer unless the understanding comes that our lives are a sum total of different identities. ’’

Whose morality is this?- Hindustan Times

Whose morality is this?- Hindustan Times

Saleem Kidwai, Nivedita Menon, Mary John, V. Geetha, Shilpa Phadke and 13 other teachers and academics from universities across India.

We, as teachers and academics from universities across India, read with outrage and dismay that Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, reader and chairman of Modern Indian Languages at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was suspended for having consensual sex with someone of the same sex within the privacy of his home.

What made the press report that came out on Thursday in certain sections of the media particularly shocking was that there were either cameras placed by students within Dr Siras’ house or television reporters got into the house and made a video film of the alleged incident that was then passed on to the university authorities. The university authorities instead of going by the constitutionally recognised right to privacy within the four corners of one’s house have instead chosen to act against Dr Siras.

The outrage of the university authorities is deeply misdirected. Instead of suspending Dr Siras, they should have taken stern and serious action against those who so blatantly took on the role of playing moral police with no regard whatsoever for Dr Siras’ constitutionally recognised right to privacy and dignity within his home and the university.

What is the ‘gross misconduct’ for which Dr Siras has been suspended? It is not a crime for an adult to have consenting intimate sexual relations with another adult. It is not an offence for an adult to have consensual sex with another adult in the privacy of his home. Dr Siras, in line with the judgement of the Delhi High Court in Naz Foundation, has also committed no legal offence. On the other hand, he is the victim of multiple offences — his house has been entered into without his consent and his intimate life has been filmed without his consent.

The press reports repeatedly allege that Dr Siras was having consensual sex with a “rickshaw puller”. Is the occupation or implied class status of the individual involved the reason behind the accusation of ‘scandal’ and ‘outrageous’ behaviour? If so, then the AMU administration is violating the tenets both of India’s Constitution and of the ethics and values of an institution of higher learning with a history as long and distinguished as AMU which was built precisely to end discrimination on religion, caste or class.

One has to remember that it was only last year that Chief Justice Shah and Justice Muralidhar, in holding Section 377 inapplicable to consenting sex between adults in private, came up with the important distinction between public morality and constitutional morality. As they noted, “Moral indignation, howsoever strong, is not a valid basis for overriding individual’s fundamental rights of dignity and privacy. In our scheme of things, constitutional morality must outweigh the argument of public morality, even if it be the majoritarian view.”

If the Naz judgement with its stress on constitutional morality is taken seriously, the immoral actions will be not be Dr Siras’ conduct but rather the actions of the university authorities in suspending him for the expression of his constitutional right, the actions of the media to blatantly invade his life as well as the possible involvement of students of the university.

This incident follows a series of events that mark the shrinking of spaces of freedom and dignity within India’s institutions of higher learning. It is imperative that we protect institutions that should be bastions of building inclusive and democratic cultures for generations to come from narrow-minded moral policing of this kind.

Nigah in collaboration with the Religare Arts Initiative's year-long project, Art Against AIDS, presents:

An evening of dance and film relating to the themes of gender, sexuality, desire and HIV/AIDS as part of the commemoration of Dec 1 as World AIDS Day.

When:
Friday, December 4th, 2009
from 6:30 — 9 PM

Where:
Religare Arts Initiative,
7 Atmaram Mansion, Level 1,
Scindia House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi - 110001
T: +91 11 43727000/7001

Dance::

Ruddha (rude, huh?)

A solo of “false translations” of traditional kathak compositions, where bols transform into nonsensical English gossip, where idiosyncratic postmodern movement suddenly shifts into classical kathak. Based on classical kathak compositions learned from Bandana Sen and Anjani Ambegaokar.

Choreography and text: Cynthia Lee
Performance: Cynthia Lee
Duration: 7 minutes

Dasi (displaced)

The basis of the piece is a critical response to an exotified image of "the temple dancer" that the choreographer has had to contend with while performing Indian dance in Europe. Constructed through chance procedures and drawing on tandava and lasya qualities, the dancer reclaims the power of the gaze.

Choreography: Sandra Chatterjee
performance: Sandra Chatterjee
music: Oliver Rajamani
Duration: 6 minutes

Counting the Moons

choreography: Anusha Kedhar & Cynthia Lee
performance: Sandra Chatterjee and Cynthia Lee

original music: Gregory Acker and Robert Levit
duration: 13 minutes

"I wore myself out watching the road.
Counting the moons, I grieved,
Holding back a love I could not hold..."
-Ksetrayya

A North and South Indian classical dancer collaborate to evoke love, loss, and the slippery relationships between self, friend, and lover, in this contemporary abhinaya (emotional expression) piece loosely inspired by a poem by the 17th century Telegu poet, Ksetrayya.

About the Performers:

Cynthia Lee:

Based in Los Angeles and drawing on the aesthetics of western avant-garde performance and classical kathak, Cynthia Lee’s choreography focuses on rigorous intercultural collaboration and developing kathak as a contemporary form. Her work has been deeply influenced by her teachers Simone Forti, Eiko & Koma, Bandana Sen, Kumudini Lakhia, and Anjani Ambegaokar. Cynthia holds an MFA in choreography from UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures and is a member of the Post Natyam Collective.

Sandra Chatterjee:

Based in Munich, Germany, Sandra Chatterjee combines her interests of choreographing, writing, and creating platforms for exchange among emerging creative artists. Her training in Kuchipudi provides a strong basis from which to create contemporary choreography that also draws on her training in Bharatanatyam, Polynesian dance, modern/postmodern dance, and yoga. She holds a PhD in Culture and Performance from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a member of the Post Natyam Collective.

Film:

Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe (USA, 2007)

Duration: 76 minutes

Writer/Director: James Crump

Sam Wagstaff was a Vanity Fair cover waiting to happen. He was handsome, wealthy, cultivated and connected, not to mention the lover and mentor of the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Both men died of AIDS in the late '80s. Each man was a sexual outlaw, and a sense of outlawry marked their cultural lives no less than their private ones, as seen in James Crump's absorbing 2007 documentary. The narration is delivered in rather hard-bitten tones by writer Joan Juliet Buck. "Black White + Gray" demonstrates a rare degree of intelligence, sophistication and frankness.

Nigah Invites you for the Pink Rupee Party !!!

Nigah Invites you for the Pink Rupee Party !!!

Your QueerFest Returns, 23rd Oct - 1st Nov .... with another ten days of films, photography, performances, workshops and a lot more
queerness around, check out the details - www.thequeerfest.com.

The pride of Nigah QueerFest is that its funded by the Queer Community. The last 2 years have been a great success with your love and support.

Yet again, we invite you to the fundraiser party to show your support and dance the night away with us.

Day and Date: Friday, 4th September 09
Time: 10:00 pm onwards
Venue: Pegs N Pints, Chanakyapuri (with Chanakya cinema on your right, go till the end of the road. The club is on your right).
Entry: Rs 400 on the main gate (gets you coupon for one drink) plus Rs 100 at the second door (a suggested contribution to Nigah, feel
free to go higher!)

YOUR PRESENCE IS YOUR SUPPORT, SO COME AND SPREAD THE WORD !!

Solidarity
Nigah
www.thequeerfest.com

Tipping the Velvet

Nigah presents >>
Tipping the Velvet
on Friday, 31st July 2009
from 6 pm to 9 pm
at Milan, A-20 (Basement), Lajpat Nagar III, New Delhi

Nigah events are back again after a short break! The last few weeks have been very exciting and eventful, first the Delhi Queer Pride march and then the historical High Court judgment that read down Sec 377 of the IPC. To celebrate this and more, we invite you to the screening of a delicious, lip smacking film!

Tipping the Velvet is set in the 1890s, it tells the story of Nancy Astley, an oyster girl from the English town of Whitstable , who falls in love with a male impersonator and stage performer named Kitty Butler and begins to undergo a complete life transformation. The story deals with the topic of lesbian sex and desire along with the role that economic class can play in oppression. The title of the film is a Victorian-era euphemism for cunnilingus.

This 2002 BBC television drama serial is based on the bestselling debut novel by Sarah Waters of the same name. It stars Rachael Stirling, Keeley Hawes , and Jodhi May . Directed by Geoffrey Sax, the novel was adapted by acclaimed screenwriter Andrew Davies.

Directions:
Entrance is in the lane behind the building. Ring bell to gain access. It's right behind Moolchand Hospital.
- last turning into Lajpat Nagar if you are coming from Defence Colony Flyover.
- first turning if coming along the Ring Road from Defence Colony side. Do not not take the underpass, take left lane (do not turn left!) and go straight across the traffic lights on ground level.
- Right turn at Moolchand Flyover if coming from Chirag side, then as above
- U-Turn at Moolchand Flyover if coming from Ashram on RIng Road, then as above

Do come! Forward this information widely! Refreshments will be provided.

Queer Writing Workshop

Nigah invites you to a queer writing workshop:

Inviting writers of any genre, gender or generation to come, read, write, listen and subvert the ways in which we imagine/are supposed to imagine our many genders and sexualities. We will discuss how our queerness and writing affect each other and try some writing exercises so do bring along your pens!

WHEN: Sunday 1st February 2009
WHERE: India Coffee House, Mohansingh Place, Connaught Place
TIME: 5 pm to 7 pm

QueerCafe

Nigah presents>>
QueerCafe - the fourth annual open mic

Voices that challenge, queer, and subvert the ways in which we
imagine/are supposed to imagine our many genders and sexualities.

Friday, 13th February, 06.30 pm
The Attic, Regal Building
Connaught Place, New Delhi

Inviting readings, performances, poetry, songs, video, films, mimes,
erotica, rants, raves, elegies, odes, limmericks, nazms, what have
you. Your audience is waiting.

Open to all and entries invited in any language.
Time slot per participant: 10 minutes
To sign up or for questions, write to us: contact@nigah.org

We hope that the evening will bring together some of Delhi's most
exciting performances that will delight audiences of all genders and
sexualities.

Do join us, participate and spread the word!

Panel Discussion with Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai

Nigah presents>>

Same-Sex Love in India: A Literary History
(new revised edition, Penguin India 2008)

A Panel Discussion with Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai

Monday, January 5, 6.30 p.m.
Oxford Bookstore, Statesman House, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Do come, bring friends and inform other who may be interested!

HerzHaft and Give Piece of Ass a Chance

Nigah invites you>>

to a screening and discussion with Pramada Menon and Rahul Singh of two short films which explore notions of consent.

'What is consent?'
'Are the issues in relation to consent in queer relationships different?'
'How can we manage perceptions of consent in a queer context?'

Join us to discuss these and other questions raised by the films.
Date: 12th December 2008
Time: 7pm
Venue: The Attic, Regal Building, Connaught Place, New Delhi

HerzHaft
Germany (http://www.frameline.org/festival/film/results.aspx?CID=9&FID=42)
2007, 15 Minutes
Language: German *English Sub-Titles*
Director: Martin Busker

This film explores notions of consent through the forbidden love between a 33 year-old football coach and one of his 15 year old players.

Give Piece of Ass a Chance
Canada (http://www.frameline.org/festival/film/results.aspx?CID=4&FID=38)
2006, 16 Minutes
Language: English *English Sub-Titles*
Director: Bruce LaBruce

Give Piece of Ass a Chance is the third in a series of porn produced by The Scandelles starring their alter egos, The Partistes. It shows the inception of these characters as a group of anti-war sex terrorists who kidnap a munitions heiress and fuckwash her using her family's deadly legacy. GPAC pokes loving fun at the misguided but consequential anti-war, anti-bourgeois and feminist groups of the early '70s and '90s and the media's natural obsession with their innate sexiness. The Scandelles set out to make porn based on genre and this one pays tribute to the political stylings of Bruce LaBruce, directed by the man himself.

Come join us and spread the word!

Next Event: November 22, 2008 at the Attic

Nigah invites you for the screening of
Nighthawks
a movie by Ron Peck

Runtime : 109 mins

When and Where : 22nd November 2008, 6:30 pm, The Attic, Regal building, Connaught Place

Synopsis: One of the first commercially-regarded gay feature films from the UK, Nighthawks consciously sought to redress the negative and moralistic stereotypes presented by mainstream cinema. The everyday experiences of a gay teacher offer both a subjective account of his disjointed emotional life, and a fascinating record of the gay scene in London in the late 70s.

and

Nighthawks Reflected

Paula Nightingale
A 30-minute documentary on the making and impact of Nighthawks, presented by Matt Lucas

Hope to see you there!

Screening: Punches n Ponytails, 11 October 2008, 6:30PM @ THe Attic in CP

Punches n Ponytails, a film on women boxing in India (74 min/ 2008)

by Pankaj Rishi Kumar

Synopsis: The film is a journey into the sweet science of boxing being practiced by two Indian women. Using cinema verité style and shot over a period of two and half years, the film articulates the boxer's concerns and share experiences and ideas about their future.

on Saturday, 11th October, starting 6.30 pm

About the Director: Graduating from Puneʼs Film and Television Institute in 1992, and specialising in Film Editing, Pankaj was assisted editor on Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen. After editing documentaries and TV serials, he made his first film KUMAR TALKIES. Subsequently, Pankaj has become a one man crew producing, directing, shooting and editing his own films.(Pather Chujaeri, The Vote, Gharat, 3 Men and a Bulb). Pankaj was awarded a Asia Society fellowship at Harvard Asia Centre (2003). He was a TA at the first Asian Film Academy (Pusan)

Screening: Punches n Ponytails

Punches n Ponytails, a film on women boxing in India (74 min/ 2008)

by Pankaj Rishi Kumar

Synopsis: The film is a journey into the sweet science of boxing being practiced by two Indian women. Using cinema verité style and shot over a period of two and half years, the film articulates the boxer's concerns and share experiences and ideas about their future.

on Saturday, 11th October, starting 6.30 pm

About the Director: Graduating from Puneʼs Film and Television Institute in 1992, and specialising in Film Editing, Pankaj was assisted editor on Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen. After editing documentaries and TV serials, he made his first film KUMAR TALKIES. Subsequently, Pankaj has become a one man crew producing, directing, shooting and editing his own films.(Pather Chujaeri, The Vote, Gharat, 3 Men and a Bulb). Pankaj was awarded a Asia Society fellowship at Harvard Asia Centre (2003). He was a TA at the first Asian Film Academy (Pusan)

Screening: Punches n Ponytails

Queer Publishing discussion at Oxford Book Shop

See clips of the discussion on Youtube

Saleem Kidwai and Ashok Row Kavi discuss the demand for queer writing and the compromise in quality

Ashok Row Kavi discusses developing a queer perspective on all news

Nigah Presents: "How Do I Look" a film about American kothis

WHEN:

Saturday, 13 September 6:30PM

WHERE:

The Attic in Connaught Place, Regal Theater Building (near the People Tree)

Fabulous, fierce and free. Many may have heard of the social dance known as Vogueing in the Black & Latino poor and working class communities in urban America- those that rebelled that faithful morn in '69 at a bar called Stonewall, giving rise to the modern Gay Liberation movement. Some may have even seen 1990's Paris is Burning and felt uncomfortable with the film's voyeuristic gaze.  And this community even defies language: Somehow, descriptions like effeminate, and labels like transvestite, transgender, transexual or even gay, lesbian and bisexual simply do not do the community any justice. Finally, a film with its own voice.

From Wikipedia: 

How Do I Look is a "showcase" of the talent of the Ballroom community. It follows several famous artists, such as Willi Ninja, Kevin Ultra-Omni, Octavia St. Laurent and Jose Xtravaganza. The film interviews its artists about their experiences with Ball competitions and the challenges faced by the Ball community, including persistent social misconception, drug use, sex work, acceptance of sexuality and gender, and HIV/AIDS.

Do join us for film, folks and fun!

Click here for a preview of How Do I Look on Youtube

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