Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights are almost non-existent in Pakistan. Certain sexual activities are still punishable by life imprisonment, and same-sex relationships are harshly shunned. But one film has made an attempt to address the society’s attitude towards this.
Bol (2011), directed by Shaoib Mansoor, is a courageous film about a girl on death row. She tells her sorrowful story to the crowd before she dies, and unravels every piece of Pakistan’s social tapestry and it’s problems.
The film addresses many of the social issues in Pakistan, including capital punishment, domestic abuse, misogyny and honour-killing. The heart-wrenching plot includes the struggle of Saifi, a young eunuch coming to terms with his identity in a country where it is still taboo to be homosexual.
The actor who played Saifi talks about his role as a eunuch:
Documenting Lives
Another brave director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, co-director of the award-winning documentary Saving Face, has addressed LGBT rights in her Channel 4 documentary Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret. Disowned by their families, begging on the street and heckled by society, the film shows the lives of this alienated group in Pakistan.
