7 NOT-TO-BE-MISSED FILMS AT KASHISH 2016

CAROL

Opening Film

May 25th / 9.30pm / Liberty Cinema

(2015) 118 min / Feature UK, USA Dir: Todd Haynes

Starring: Cate Blanchett and Roony Mara

Carol follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. Therese Belivet, is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol, an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change.

I AM NOT HE, SHE… (Original Title: Nanu Avanalla, Avalu)

Centerpiece Feature

May 27th / 6.00pm / Liberty Cinema

(2015) 115 min / Feature INDIA Dir: B.S. Lingadevaru

Starring: Sanchari Vijay, who won the National Award for Best Actor last year. The film also won Best make-up

Madesha is a boy who cherishes basic feminine characteristics. As he grows up, his wish to become a female grows stronger. Eventually, he gets acquainted with the appalling lives of trangenders, along with their conventions. He discovers that a transgender person is not accepted in the society and is forced to make a living either by begging, or as a prostitute. Madesha transforms into Vidya who has to discover her own identity and fight against all odds to lead a dignified life.

ALIGARH

Centerpiece Feature

May 28th / 6.00pm / Liberty Cinema

(2015) 114 min / Feature INDIA Dir: Hansal Mehta

Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Raj Kumar Rao

A true story of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation. He was ostracized by the society at large and subjected to physical and psychological torture. Rookie journalist Dipu Sebastian is the man who sees him for what he really is. Aligarh is their journey.

REACHING FOR THE MOON

Country Focus: Brazil

May 28th / 8.15pm / Liberty Cinema

(2013) 118 min / Feature BRAZIL Dir: Bruno Barreto

Frustrated poet Elizabeth Bishop travels to Brazil and encounters the beguiling architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Initial hostilities make way for a complicated yet long-lasting love affair that dramatically alters Bishop’s relationship to the world around her. Anchored by magnificent lead performances from Miranda Otto and Glória Pires, Reaching for the Moon is an intimate snapshot of the search for inspiration, wherever and however you find it.

ORIENTED

Centerpiece Documentary

May 28th / 1.00pm / Max Mueller Bhavan

(2015) 86 min / Documentary ISRAEL, UK Dir: Jake Witzenfeld

Oriented follows the lives of three Palestinian friends exploring their national and sexual identity in Tel-Aviv during the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2014. Khader is a Tel Aviv “darling” from a prominent family living with his Jewish boyfriend, David, a local LGBT nightlife impresario, and their Dalmatian, Otis, in Tel Aviv. Determined to make a change, these three best friends form a non-violent, cultural resistance group (“Qambuta”) making viral content for gender and national equality. While their work may not change the world, it certainly helps them deal with the frustration of living with multi-faceted identities.

TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL

Centerpiece Documentary

May 29th / 10.45am / Liberty Cinema

(2015) 90 min / Documentary USA Dir: Jeffrey Schwarz

In the 1950s, Tab Hunter is number one at the box office and number one on the music charts. He is Hollywood’s most sought-after star and America’s boy next door. Natalie Wood, Debbie Reynolds and Sophia Loren are just a few of the actresses he is romantically linked to. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. Now, Tab Hunter’s secret is out. In ‘Tab Hunter Confidential’ we will meet, for the first time, the real Tab Hunter as he shares with us the whole story of a happy, healthy survivor of Hollywood’s roller coaster.

THOSE PEOPLE

Closing Film

May 29th / 9.30pm / Liberty Cinema

(2015) 89 min / Feature USA Dir: Joey Kuhn

On Manhattan’s gilded Upper East Side, a young gay painter is torn between an obsession with his infamous best friend and a promising new romance with an older foreign pianist. Charlie is a handsome budding artist who is hung up on his self-centered friend, Sebastian. The feeling is not mutual. Sebastian’s life is turned upside down after a scandal puts his father in jail. When Charlie meets a hot Lebanese concert pianist, older & more grounded than Sebastian, their developing relationship starts to interfere with Charlie & Sebastian’s long time friendship.