This event will entail the screening of Until and Unless, a short documentary film addressing the queer and trans rights movement in India.
Set in West Bengal a year before the historic decision to repeal India’s anti-sodomy law Penal Code 377, “Until and Unless”, follows the story of four individuals and the impact of systemic oppression via India’s legislative system on their lives. The film features Sintu, a transwoman community leader raised in the Sheoraphuli red-light district; Nitu, a transwoman sex worker who lives a dual identity as a man named Nitai; Lovely, a Koti person who lives a closeted life while working in an office environment, and Pratap, a trans teen still navigating her identity. Through juxtaposing their stories with interviews from lawyers and activists working to oppose these laws, the film shows the lived consequences of state and social violence on community self-representations.
The documentary was shot a year ago before the recent landmark Supreme Court decision to repeal of the colonial law, IPC 377, thereby decriminalizing homosexuality. The event will also feature a Q&A session with the Bengali sex-worker and trans activist co-creators of the film.
Speakers:
Dr. Soma Roy, Sintu Bagui and Nitai Giri from Anandam, the organization for transgender sex workers in West Bengal, India
