Love rarely arrives quietly. This shorts package, includes a pre-show produced by Rang De Pride before a curation of films exploring the tender, defiant, and often complicated ways Desi Queer individuals navigate relationships with themselves, their families, and their desires. From generational tensions and cultural expectations to secret crushes and the shadows of shame, these films illuminate the myriad ways we find, lose, and reclaim connection.
In conservative Karachi, college student Ali Kamran hires a teenage sex worker, Tariq, to explore his sexuality. Their brief encounter leads to unforeseen consequences, highlighting the perilous intersection of desire and societal norms.
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Year of Release: 2020
Run Time: 13:00
Language: Urdu/Hindi, with English Subtitles
Director: Iqran Rasheed
Haider, a Bengali Muslim taxi driver faces the stark intersection of his faith and identity when he meets Elijah, a passenger with a shared past.
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 19:00
Language: English
Director: Razid Season
Usha, an illiterate single mother and farm laborer in rural India, finds herself drawn to her children’s female teacher in unexpected ways. This newfound attraction ignites her passion to learn, challenging societal norms and personal boundaries.
Country of Origin: India
Year of Release: 2019
Run Time: 22:00
Language: Marathi, with English Subtitles
Director: Rohan Kanawade
In the 19th century, in the Levant region, Salma Zahore, along with her parents and neighbors, participated in a photoshoot using a long exposure technique. At the end of it, Salma decided to take off her coat, revealing her body. Unaware of the chaos this gesture could cause within her circle, she did not know it could lead to shame (عيب).
Country of Origin: Lebanon
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 4:27
Language: Arabic, with English Subtitles
Director: Hadi Moussally
1h + Pre Show by Rang De Pride
Pakistan, United States, India, Lebanon
Urdu/Hindi, English, Marathi, Arabic, with English Subtitles
Wheelchair-accessible
Closed Captioning
Calgary Queer Arts Society honours and acknowledges Moh’kinsstis, the lands and oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani Nations; the îethka Nakoda Nations: Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney; and the Tsuut’ina Nation. We also recognize this territory as home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, Districts 5 and 6. Finally, we acknowledge all nations, genders and spirits who live, work, and play across Turtle Island.
We are only the latest to live, create and gather here, and so it is only right that we should acknowledge those who have come before us; their feasts and family gatherings, art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony, that have been happening right here, on this land, for more generations than any of us can count.
As we enter and care for the relationships made possible through our work, we see every gathering as an opportunity to engage and walk a path of reconciliation; in doing so, we hope to build connections of inclusion, respect, and shared creativity.
