A compelling documentary about the ongoing fight for justice by the closeted gay, lesbian and transgendered people in India and how an archaic law, political bigotry and moralistic double standards continue to inflict gross injustice and human rights violations upon the LGBTQ community.
STORY
“The fear of the law is real… fear of the people who abuse the law… the policemen, the bigoted politicians… they constantly tell me that I’m a second class citizen… that I should be ashamed… and afraid” says filmmaker Sridhar who is out, gay and anxious – he thinks an Indian Stonewall is imminent.
Using the filmmaker’s own personal point of view and reflections to connect and comment upon various narrative strands in the film, BREAKING FREE weaves together poignant tales of the closeted Indian queer community; the injustice and violence against them, the ongoing legal battle to repeal a law that criminalizes them and the push within India for a more open and tolerant society even as homophobia and the call by moral policemen for queer-quashing becomes more strident.
The film primarily follows stories of three people:
Gauri, a transgender who went through sex reassignment surgery to become a woman and is now heading an organization for transgenders and hijras (eunuchs) and fighting for their rights; Girish, a transgender who ran away from the hijra clan, now identifies himself as a kothi (effeminate gay man) and works tirelessly to provide health care and treatment for HIV positive kothis; and Sridhar, a gay man who started off as a confused introverted youth in a conservative small town who now makes films on homosexuals and transsexuals.
Three people from there different social, economic and class backgrounds who claim three different queer identities: transgender, kothi and gay; each with its own circle of issues and travails.
The film thematically focuses on five main segments: An Unforgiving Society, Identity Crisis, In the clutches of a Monster Law, Legal and Social wars, Portents of Hope.
Weaving interviews and day-to-day life with these three people, the film captures how the legal and social oppression of sexual minorities affect their lives and loves; the dissatisfaction and discontent brewing within these communities and how they are all on verge of a revolt, BREAKING FREE from their shackles of ignominy.
