I Am (Hindi / English) [Documentary]

I am so glad that I did go to watch this documentary film in the ongoing LGBT film festival in Philly. This was such an eye-opener in many different ways. There is no way that this film will not touch your heart. You will be able to connect with the film in some way or the other. It gets emotional too at some points. If you are like me who can certainly relate to few of these incidents shown in the film, you will love it. I was so glad to see the director getting a standing ovation after the screening. She deserves every bit of it.

'I Am' chronicles the journey of an Indian lesbian filmmaker Sonali Gulati who returns to Delhi, eleven years later, to re-open what was once home, and finally confronts the loss of her mother whom she never came out to. She starts hr journey wondering how her mother would have reacted after knowing t he truth about her only daughter's sexual identity. In the process she also meets, discusses and interviews various other gay. lesbian and transgendered members in India for whom it would have been a huge step to give these interviews. We also get to se the reaction of family members specially the mothers of how it took them time to come to terms with what their child is going through. During the interview process, Sonali also ends up putting together pieces of her life of what family truly means in a country where until very recently being gay as considered a criminal offense.

The interviews, interactions and stories are so poignant and touching that you wanna see more of them. The characters are not just playing parts, they are sharing their inner most feelings and life with the audience. They take the courage to be the leaders so that other in a similar situation like them can see a path already ben opened for them. The film shows how in most cases the mothers have been the pillars of strength. I think the most strength the children get is if their parents are accepting of the whole thing. It is very important to understand why someone is homosexual and why this is not a disease. People and their basic nature does not change based on their sexuality. They still remain same and this film does a fantastic job of showing that. It is not about education or awareness but a lot about love and acceptance for your child which gives the child and the family the strength to overcome all hurdles.

I salute Sonali Gulati for making such a brave film, a film that definitely needs to be seen by people in and out of India. I can't wait for my family to see this documentary. (8/10)