LIVING, BECOMING, THRIVING

Iss Taraf offers a glimpse into the quiet struggles and momentary victories of a trans man living in a cisnormative world, navigating the journey of acceptance in daily life. This short film is a restrained and evocative exploration of perception, identity, and the fragile space between how we are seen and how we exist within ourselves.

Every Sunday, Jo and her traditional family come together for their cherished Scrabble ritual, filled with chatter and quiet comfort. But this Sunday, Jo uses the game to reveal a truth about herself – that she is a lesbian.

At a social do Tara meets a charming young man, Aman and is instantly enamoured by his charm and comfort that he shares about her trans-identity. Tara, on the same night learns that Aman is an upper caste man and thus she decides to keep her lower caste identity to herself with the fear of Aman losing interest in her. What follows is Tara’s struggle of discretion and coming to terms with her own identity and facing her real self at the cost of losing love.

Nisha, a Bangalorean in her late 20s, is trying to move on from a long and intense relationship with her ex, Nidhi. Armed with dry humour, good friends, and terrible dating app matches, she gets back into the game- awkwardly, hesitantly, and with surprising honesty. Each date opens a window into Nisha’s emotional landscape- from absurd mismatches to fleeting sparks. Amid these, MJ stands out: a thoughtful, genuine person who sees Nisha clearly. But Nisha, still entangled in memories of her Ex, Nidhi, can’t allow herself to truly reciprocate.