KDocsFF presents free virtual screening of Emergence: Out of the Shadows
Vinay Giridhar’s documentary provides a potent and transformative voice in support of South Asian queer individuals and their families
Alex Sangha and his mother, Jaspal Sangha, in Emergence: Out of the Shadows.
For many LGBTQ+ members of conservative South Asian families, coming out can be an isolating and terrifying experience. In Emergence: Out of the Shadows, director Vinay Giridhar looks at the stories of three people awakening to and expressing their sexuality despite feelings of “shame” and the very real and heartbreaking fear of rejection by their friends, family, and community. At the same time, their experiences provide comfort, compassion, and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling with acceptance.
KDocsFF presents a special, free screening of Emergence: Out of the Shadows, with a one-week viewing window beginning October 4 via Vimeo.
On October 11 at 1 pm PDT via Zoom, there is a free live panel discussion and Q&A with Giridhar, Jag Nagra, and Jaspal Sangha moderated by Kamala Nayar. The keynote speaker is Alex Sangha, a registered clinical counsellor, Emergence cast member and producer.
The screening is part of KDocsFF’s fall 2021 Stop Anti-Asian Hate campaign and coincides with National Coming Out Day on October 11.
“Emergence: Out of the Shadows can help you understand the lives and barriers faced by gay and lesbian members of the South Asian community in Metro Vancouver,” Giridhar says in his director’s statement. “I learned that society tends to alienate, marginalize and even fetishize people of colour, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. What makes Emergence: Out of the Shadows different is the fact that the film provides a rare insight and voice for the parents of gay and lesbian South Asians. The parents address how coming out is not only life-changing for their children but also life-altering for the parents who are left with broken dreams and unanswered questions.
The film acknowledges the important and extraordinary courage of both the parents and their children in their willingness to fight the traditions and taboos of society,” Giridhar says. “The film focuses on the rights of these individuals to live an open and respectable life despite traditional and often strict family values and socio-cultural pressures. The parents and their children describe their struggles to understand and emerge together to embrace, love, and support each other, and reach a higher level of critical awareness and compassion.”
To reserve your free ticket, email emergence@kpu.ca with your full name and email address.
For more information, see KDocsFF or Emergence: Out of the Shadows.
This post was sponsored by KDocsFF.