Sonali Gulatis documentary zooms into the delicate decision of coming out to parents The heart-wrenching story of a young woman who returns to Delhi after eleven years to confront the loss of her mother in the film I Am had many in the audience reaching for their kerchiefs last weekend at Delhis India Habitat Centre. It also won filmmaker Sonali Gulati the grand jury prize for Best Documentary at the Indian Film Festival,Los Angeles,2011. Gulati sites her own estrangement from her mother because of her queerness as the reason behind this film. I never had the courage to confide in her and feel closer to her in death than when she was alive, she says. This prompted her to discover how other families have coped with the realities of gay,lesbian and trans children and have emerged stronger. The documentary captures characters from a spectrum of class,caste,gender and race backgrounds,as they play themselves,unafraid to show who they are to the world,even when there is the fear of not being accepted. It is important to speak out,to let others know that there are people,who support and help in the journey of self-realisation, says Gulati. The mothers featured in the documentary are those who embraced their children and became pillars of strength for them. When parents accept their children,then nobody in society can point fingers. Even if they do,it matters less, adds Gulati. At the panel discussion,a member of the audience said that a film like this was needed in India to create acceptance. To which Gulati retorted,It has a universal appeal. I teach at The Virginia Commonwealth University,where research is underway to cure homosexuality. There are camps to convert people towards heterosexuality and there is a lot of violence. Its a myth that the West accepts homosexuality. Another myth busted was that educated parents are more accepting of their queer children. But Bali,a character in the film,is from rural India and accepts her queer child. The documentary takes on several commonly held myths,alongside dialogues on parental support.
