Korean Premiere

Program Note

 How far have the LBT(Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) movements in India come and what kinds of issues and struggles have the movement brought up? Purple Skies brings a view of LBT practices in India through interviews with activist organizations and individuals which initiated and contributed to LBT movements in India. This documentary discusses homosexuality, coming out, romance, community, and etc. with people themselves whose skies are purple: a lesbian who was born as a female and whose sexual orientation is female; a FTM(Female to Male) transgender who found herself discordant with her biological sex and transforms her body into male one. Their seemingly individual stories, however, are interlocked under the still remaining colonial law, Section 377 of Indian Penal Code which was passed during the British rule in India in the 19th century. This section stipulates \"whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine,\" which functions as an effective reason of suppressing the freedom of LBT. Purple Skies shed much-needed light on these dual histories of ruling over colonial occupation and homosexuality and accordingly argue that solidarity of movements, among LBT movement, human rights movement feminism movement, and postcolonial movement is the key to abolish those dual rules. [Sunah KIM]