257 Between the Lines - India's Third Gender

Between the Lines - India's Third Gender (257)

14:00, Saturday 04th July, Theatre B

  • Director: Thomas Wartman (IND)
  • Year: 2005
  • Run time: 94'
  • Format: mini DV, PAL

The film follows photographer Anita Khemka as she explores the hidden hijra subculture of Bombay. Khemka has been fascinated by the captivating spiritual powers of the outcast hijras - biological men who dress as women but reject identification with either gender. Following three hijras, Khemka enters the struggling hijra communities, discussing intimate details – their matriarchal surrogate families, castration ceremonies, sexuality, begging and prostitution. Khemka's ability to initiate personal dialogue about persistent cultural stereotypes about gender, this artful film provides fascinating insights into a social group that is a growing leader in the fight for gender and sexuality rights in India.

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About this Festival

Sponsored by the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain & Ireland (RAI) since 1985, it is an itinerant festival that moves biennially from one university host to another, in association with local community and cultural organisations.

The festival was held from Wednesday July 1st to Saturday July 4th 2009, and included over 50 hours of screenings of new films, a major international conference, and a targeted selection of events focusing on anthropological ethics in filmmaking, youth participatory film, and archiving ethnographic film.

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