The film that released last month stars Nandita Das, Purab Kholi, Manisha Koirala, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri and Rahul Bose, and narrates four different stories.[break]
I AM AFIA is the story of a single woman who is on the look for a sperm donor. I AM MEGHA deals with two friends, one is a Kashmiri Pandit and the second a Muslim woman.
I AM ABHIMANYU is the story of a man with a bitter past where he has faced child molestation. I AM OMAR, on the other hand, is a tale of sexual discrimination.
Elaborating the reason behind the screening Sunil Babu Pant, founder of Blue DI AMond Society (BDS) and Nepal’s only openly gay MP said, “I think it is high time the Nepali film industry started exploring issues of homosexuality.”
Director Onir supported Pant when he said “I have always given Nepal’s example when it comes to issues of sexual indiscrimination,” adding “Nepali film makers need to explore this side of the society too.”
Onir, an openly gay film maker himself, is credited for the first Indian movie to deal with homosexuality. My Brother Nikhil which came out in 2005 was the first feature film in India where the protagonist dealt with homosexuality and HIV.
“I AM explores other social issues too,” said Onir who does not believe that his films only deal with homosexuality. “Fifty-three percent of children in India are abused and religious riots have claimed lives of hundreds of people. I AM deals with all these issues”, he said.
I AM has been financed through social networking sites. The director had asked people to send in funds if interested and 400 people from 46 countries participated.
The next screening of the movie is to be held on Monday at Gurukul Theater, Old Baneswor.
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