Personal Pledge Message

A compelling documentary feature that traces the extraordinary queer rights movement in India - from invisibility to empowerment. It's YOUR film, make it happen NOW! Contribute, Support, Reach out.

"This film has to be made, and it has to be made NOW", urges Sridhar Rangayan, activist and filmmaker, who tells this story of Indian LGBT community breaking free.

BREAKING FREE is a feature-length documentary that strings together anguished voices of those who were tortured, blackmailed and indicted by the draconian law Section 377 that criminalized homosexuality till recently. It also includes interviews with advocates, activists and opinion builders who have fought a decade-long battle to have this law read down. The film captures a community in indignation, a society in transition, and a country on the verge of historic changes.

It is a film about the law, about us, our struggle to break free.

70% of the film has been extensively shot over five years in Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi. 30% of the shooting is yet to be done in August / September and post-production in October / November 2012.

We need your help and support – be a part of the film, be a part of the movement – contribute and spread the word.

It is YOUR project. Make it happen NOW.

The Film

What  is this film about?

‘Breaking Free’ is a film about people who created a movement, a movement that has created history.

Stringing together voices of people who were brutalized under a homophobic law, and those who fought against all odds for their freedom, it recreates the untold story of the queer rights movement in India and our struggle for justice.

But what will this new freedom mean to the LGBTQ community that is embedded within a larger civil society, a society that is caught between old social mores and a globalized outlook of a shrinking world.

The Intent

Why is this film important?

We believe that a story has the power to catalyze change and we envision ‘Breaking Free’ as a tool for advocacy - to spread greater awareness about the law and the history of the legal battle; to underline the opinions of civil society and policy makers; and to spotlight the struggle of the LGBTQ community.

The film comes at a crucial moment, in our struggle for justice and equality, when the verdict is being challenged in the Supreme Court and religious fanatics and moral policemen are shouting that it will open the floodgates of immorality and destroy India's cultural fabric.

Without sloganeering or jingoism, the film attempts to present a pluralistic point of view, without compromising on the personal emotional stories.

The Support

How can you support this film?

The project till now has been self-funded by Solaris Pictures and supported by The Humsafar Trust.

To complete the film by this year end, we need your help and support for it - with your contribution and by spreading the word.

Give us little or give us more - every contribution helps. Each contribution comes with its own special incentive.

Also share on facebook, twitter and help us go viral.

It is YOUR project. Make it happen NOW.

The Filmmaker

Who is making this film?

Sridhar Rangayan’s award-winning films The Pink Mirror, Yours Emotionally, and 68 Pages have been at the forefront of India’s emergent queer cinema movement – ground-breaking in a country where homosexuality till recently was criminalized and socially unacceptable. These films have screened at over 100 national and international film festivals; won several awards and received critical acclaim.

He has served as Jury at Berlin International Film Festival, Germany (2010) and Movies That Matter, Netherlands (2010).

He is the Founder & Festival Director of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (2010, 2011 & 2012) and FLASHPOINT Human Rights Film Festival (2010 & 2011).

Sridhar Rangayan’s profile: www.imdb.com/name/nm1482161/

Contact details

Solaris Pictures

Email: solaris.pictures.india@gmail.com

Website: www.solarispictures.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Solaris.Pictures

Twitter: http://twitter.com/solarispictures