NEWS

While transgender people, known as hijra, are not uncommon in Bangladesh, they are generally treated as being part of the far edges of society, and ignored by the mainstream. However, after film director Norman Robin saw a transgender person being attacked for using a female toilet in a shopping mall, he was inspired to make a film in the hope of spreading awareness about the prejudice hijra face.

The movie, Common Gender, is the first Bangladeshi movie about transgender people. While many wondered if it would find an audience, since it was released a couple of weeks ago, it’s become a bit of a hit. The film’s distributor, Enamul Karim, told AFP that, ‘We opted to release the movie only in six cinemas in the first week as it lacked big stars and some labelled it as an art-house movie. But it’s a resounding success so far. It is pulling in crowds and other cinemas are taking it up.’

The movie is abou Sushmita, a transgender woman who falls in love with a Hindu boy, However the boy’s parents refuse to accept Sushmita, which eventually leads to her suicide. Now that Common Gender has found success in Bangladesh, the hope is to take it to other countries, with the creators already in talks with an Indian distributor. (Source: AFP via Gay Star News)

A few months ago, a video about the tragic aftermath of the death of a young man went viral. It Could Happen To You charted Shane Bitney Crone’s experience after the death of his boyfriend, Tim. The dead man’s family had never accepted Tim’s sexuality and froze Shane out, showing the true cost of inequality. The Youtube video was viewed 2.7 million times and had a powerful effect on many who saw it.

Now plans are afoot to turn the story into a feature film documentary, with a Kickstarter campaign having reached its $300,000 goal to get the film, called Bridegroom, into cinemas. The ambitious idea is to have the film ready to premiere in October. Designing Women creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is set to direct.

She has a personal connection to the story, which she includes in a statement: ‘It all began when I attended a gay wedding ceremony in Palm Springs, California. That night, a couple of unforgettable, young men named Shane and Tom joined my table. I learned they were “Designing Women” fans, madly in love and literally brimming with all their big plans for an exciting life together. Sadly, that possibility ended when Tom was killed in an accident last year. When I heard the news, I was haunted by the sheer weight of Shane’s loss. Even though I barely knew them, their good-hearted demeanors and earnest love had made an indelible impression on me.

‘Then, a few weeks ago, I saw Shane’s YouTube posting, along with his bone crushing grief and the story of what happened to him after Tom’s death—and all because they were never allowed to marry. Like so many others who saw this video, I was deeply touched. And angered. I called Shane told him I wanted to make a documentary that would tell his and Tom’s love story from beginning to end. I have now seen all of Shane and Tom’s videos and home movies. Like a lot of young people, they routinely documented their lives—but this recorded history is so prolific, it almost seems as though they had a premonition or unconscious fear of not getting to live out something important.

‘Tom and Shane were each other’s first and only loves. They are devoted, hardworking, unassuming and funny. Each is from a small town and each, in his own way, is imbued with the best kind of small town values. They are, in fact, the sort of young people who hold within themselves the promise of America. And that is why I want to bring to life, on film, this real life Romeo and Romeo—so that all who condemn them, might come face to face with exactly what it is they are opposing.

‘Certainly the fact that Tom’s last name is Bridegroom is a lucky and serendipitous gift to a filmmaker. But it is so unusual, even a skeptic would find it hard not to also feel that Tom, in his own way, is now standing in for something larger than himself. I can think of no more powerful opportunity to change hearts and minds on this very important issue of human rights, than to tell the story of Shane and Tom, which at its core, is the struggle of all people who yearn to be who they are and love who they love.’

Even though the film has reached its goal, it’s still possible to help over at Kickstarter, and you can follow the film’s production on Facebook or at its Official Website.

Here’s the video that sparked the film.