The queer film ‘Pine Cone’ is breaking boundaries in India, and director Onir recently opened up about LGBTQ+ cinema in the country at present.
‘Pine Cone’ is reportedly TOTALLY GAY — with gay characters, portrayed by gay actors, and is directed by a gay director who worked with a fully gay crew. According to Variety, the plot of the film reads:
“The story of gay director Sid [Vidur Sethi], unfolds over key dates for gay rights in India, including the landmark day when homosexuality was decriminalized, recounting three different encounters in his love life.”
In a new interview with the outlet, director Onir talked about LGBTQ+ cinema in India, stating:
“There are a lot of non-Indian queer films and series available on streaming and also a lot of queer short films and reel videos being made across the country. Having said that, I feel the mainstream industry and streaming platforms when it comes to queer content are mostly still taking baby steps, and also looking at our stories from a very heteronormative gaze.”
“The queer gaze is largely missing. What is disappointing is that it’s largely about a tick mark of having done the right thing — right from actors to platforms and studios that use the phrase ‘but we are already doing one queer story.’ I don’t understand what that means. We are not one homogeneous story, we have many stories. As long as we are still othered as ‘they,’ our stories will never find the space it deserves,” the filmmaker further expressed.
Moreover, Onir’s film ‘Pine Cone’ is set to have its U.K. premiere at the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival.
Sources: variety.com, timesnownews.com
