“Gender can be defined in many ways, like the diverse forms of water. I am Sanjo, Sanjo Steve,” says Sanjo Steve, his eyes skimming the backwaters. This is how the end credits of NjanSanjo , roll. A Malayalam documentary film directed by Jijo Kuriakose of Queerala, it pans the viewfinder on the Kochi-based transman. The film is among those which will be screened at ‘Q-Loid, Queer Documentary & Short Film Festival’ scheduled to be held on Saturday, July 13 at Kerala Museum.
“Other cities such as Mumbai (Kashish), Chennai, Bengaluru and Delhi have their LGBTQ films festivals. It is time for Kochi to have one. Besides there is more representation and advocacy at films festivals such as at IFFK and IDSFFK with special packages,” says Jijo. The film festival is being organised with Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), in association with PSBT India (Public Service Broadcasting Trust). Besides individual entries, the festival comprises documentaries produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT).
The films were curated by board members of Queerala and the working committee of WCC. Apart from the film screenings, there will be ‘meet the directors’ session and a panel discussion titled ‘Redefining Masculinities- the myth of Malayali Heteronormative Machismo’. Queer films and mainstream films with LGBTQ characters have emerged into the mainstream, sans caricaturing. “There are now possibilities of representation for the community in cinema – look at Sonam Kapoor’s Ek Ladki Ko Dekha to Aisa Laga . By associating with those in the film industry, with WCC for instance, there is also the possibility of representation for us,” Jijo says. The filmmaking community could/would make space of diverse characters (in terms of sexuality/identity) if it engages actively with the community. “This film will also serve as a visual document which we can archive, to be used when we speak about LGBTQ issues. Rather than repeating the same things, this will be effective,” says Jijo.
Njan Sanjo is one of the three Malayalam films to be screened, the others are Ennodoppam , directed by P Abhijith and May by Harold Antony. While Enodoppam is about relationships of trans people, May is about the dilemma of sexual orientation. “The films for the festival were chosen for their diversity of experience of the LGBTQ community.” Others are A Safe Person To Talk To , Breathe , Please Mind the Gap , and The Last Letter .
Life of a transman
Njan Sanjo offers a peek into the everyday life of a transman. In less than 15 minutes, Njan Sanjo makes it clear that the trans-community, by extension the LGBTQ community, is not very different.
Sanjo, a hockey player, speaks of inclusion, gender, identity through real life situations using examples from math, sport and even pets. There are the disturbing aspects as well, such as attempts at conversion, humiliation, and intrusive questions. He declares, “People harp on the ‘old identity’, we are spoken of as if something new is happening or happened to us. No, it has not. Nothing changes I was always like this, I am like this.”
Jijo met Sanjo at an event, he was impressed by Sanjo especially how he constantly found mathematical patterns in things he saw. Sanjo teaches maths tuitions.
He says, “There was no script, it was in Sanjo’s voice – of things he likes and doesn’t. We just presented situations to him and he took it from there.” The crew spent time with Sanjo so that they would get comfortable in each other’s presence.
For now the film will not be screened publicly, Jijo intends to send it as an entry to film festivals. Njan Sanjo has been edited by Sarun Surendran and the director of photography is Fayyaz Abdul Razaq.
The film festival will be from 10 am - 5 pm, for details 8075645060
