Filmmaker and gay activist Sridhar Rangayan embarks on a personal journey to expose the human rights violations faced by the LGBTQ community in India due to the draconian law Section 377, and homophobic social mores of a patriarchal society. The gritty documentary BREAKING FREE, shot over 7 years, features searing testimonies of gay and transgender persons who have been victimized or exploited, as well as wide-ranging interviews with advocates and activists across India. See-sawing between despair and joy, anguish and hope, the film is an emotional roller-coaster journey of the Indian LGBTQ movement.
2015 – 82 min – documentary
language: English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada – subtitles: English
directed by: Sridhar Rangayan
The film was chosen from the best of the Mumbai International Queer Film Festival – Kashish.
Trailer Breaking Free
About the director
SRIDHAR RANGAYAN is an Indian filmmaker whose compelling films present hard-hitting social issues with warmth, compassion and humor. His award winning films The Pink Mirror, Yours Emotionally!, 68 Pages, Project Bolo, Purple Skies are at the forefront of India’s emergent queer cinema movement – ground-breaking in a country where homosexuality is still illegal . These films have screened at over 150 national and international film festivals; won several awards and received critical acclaim.
He has served as Teddy Jury at Berlinale, Germany (2010) and as Jury at Movies That Matter, Netherlands (2010), Outfest, Los Angeles (2012) and Iris Prize Festival, Wales (2013).
He is one of the Founder Trustees of The Humsafar Trust, one of the largest LGBT organizations in India, and served on its board for 19 years. He has been actively involved with championing for gay rights for the past two decades
