After an unexpectedly charming low-budget film 68 Pages, which explored a whole matrix of issues revolving around homosexuality, transsexual and transgender issues, AIDS, and socio-cultural context, the afternoon’s feature A Jihad for Love opened to a packed audience. Seattle native Afrose Ahmed introduced the film along with filmmaker Parvez Sharma himself, and her introduction was credited by Sharma as the most eloquent of any he has had worldwide, after having shown the film in 25 countries to 700,000 people! The film was incredibly moving, to say the least. Tracing the stories of people in 5 different countries struggling with the same essential question - Does Islam have a place for a “different” person like me? – one begins to have a very personal association with these people and their Jihad. How terribly heartbreaking can it be to have to make a choice – a choice between one’s bodily reality and one’s faith, family and homeland? Does such a terrible choice have to be made? Where can the answers be found? In the intense post-film discussion, one audience member asked, “Why must the answer (for all those people portrayed) always come from Islam?” My biggest take away was from Parvez’s comments: “Any reform can only come from the believers. External critique of a religion is counter-productive, as is constant theological debate. We must front theology with humanity.”

The post-film discussion carried on in more informal tones when Iftar was served over “gupshup.” It has got to be a rare opportunity to be able to socialize and talk-in depth to ground-breaking filmmakers and actors. The evening closed with more debate and dialogue, enabled by the presentation “Queering Bollywood: Alternative Sexualities in Popular Indian Cinema” by Sandeep Roy and Gayatri Gopinath. It was very interesting to trace through the imagery the presenters provided, the shift from covert representations of alternative sexualities to overt ones in the post-Fire times. Again the question was raised – does this relatively recent explicit imagery act in the service of understanding alternative sexuality with greater empathy? Does it perhaps take away from the more unspoken permissiveness of the covert times?

It is hard to believe that today is already the last day of this incredible film festival. Today’s program will be re-organized to close with a second screening of Eviction and accompanying dialogue with the Seattle-based refugees from Bhutan, offering them a unique space for sharing and expression. Today’s planned features include representation of more community-based issues in 3 short films on HIV+/AIDS by acclaimed filmmakers Santosh Sivan, Mira Nair and Vishal Bhardwaj, A Tasveer Youth Initiative, and an ACLF presentation on mixed-orientation relationships. The films Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears and Donkey in Lahore explore cross-cultural love, and Kagbeni by Bhusan Dahal presents new heights in Nepali filmmaking.

See you there!