Poshida: Hidden LGBT Pakistan (2015)

Directed by

F. Fiaz

Genre

documentary film, LGBTQ-related film

Runtime

25 min

Rating

4.0 of 10 from 3 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary follows a group of LGBT Pakistanis as they navigate their lives in a society where their identities are largely hidden. It looks at how history, British colonialism, and current events shape their experiences.

intimatesoberinginformativeunflinchingreflectiveeye-openingurgent

What happens

Poshida: Hidden LGBT Pakistan is a 2015 Pakistani and British documentary about the LGBT community in Pakistan. Created by Faizan Fiaz and others, the 25-minute documentary explores the lives of a group of LGBT Pakistanis. It was described by the Daily Pakistan as the first ever movie on the topic. The film screened at film festivals in Spain and the United States. According to one of the directors, Poshida means "hidden" or "veiled", and refers to the role of respect or personal reputation in Pakistani society. The film explores Pakistani LGBT history and culture, media representations of trans women, and addresses a Lahore serial killer targeting gay men. One of its ongoing themes is the role of British colonialism and United States foreign policy on the LGBT Community. In interviews, filmmakers pointed to the role of British colonial rule in the development of Pakistan's sodomy laws. The team interviewed dozens more people than finally appeared in the film. The final list of subjects included Pakistani-Canadian-American actress Fawzia Mirza, who brought her one-woman show Me, My Mom & Sharmila to Pakistan, with mixed reviews because of lesbian themes. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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