VAFF Review: Emergence: Out of the Shadows
/
Kayden Bhangu from Emergence: Out of the Shadows
Nobody tells you explicitly how intimate oppression is; it is not only in the streets or institutionally. It is also while you brush your teeth and right before you go to bed, and when you say a prayer to the deity you question exists. You are not man enough, says the patriarchy as you wash your face. You are nowhere near rich enough for your dreams, says capitalism as you floss. You are not beautiful enough, says white supremacy as you bring yourself into meditation to attempt to chase out the world you will one day transcend.
Emergence: Out of the Shadows is a feature documentary that sheds light onto the intimacies of oppression. It explores topics of sexuality, shame, and gender expression within the South Asian community in Metro Vancouver. The film follows the journeys of three queer Punjabi Sikhs as they navigate their identities within their conservative South Asian families and community at large. After being haunted by denial, shame, and despair from their youth, the subjects’ stories converge around a shared sense of courage and hope, conveyed through their resilience to accept themselves and live life in ways truthful to themselves.
Emergence is both a heartwarming and heart-wrenching experience brought to life by first time feature film director, Vinay Giridhar, who chose to highlight the voices of queer Punjabis and their parents. This unique perspective acknowledges the courage of both parents and their children in their willingness to challenge societal traditions and taboos. As a Punjabi woman who understands the criticism faced when going against your cultural norms, I was blown away by not only the tenacity expressed by these individuals who shared the most vulnerable parts of themselves, but also by their parents, who were willing to try and understand something far beyond what has been ingrained as socially acceptable in their generation.
In an interview with the director, Vinay and Alex, the producer and cast member of Emergence, we discussed the importance of family and parents in our growth and journey to self acceptance. Vinay explains how “Family is the centre of everything. Blood or chosen. This is why it becomes very difficult for the queer community, because a lot of times they don’t fit in, and often times they become alienated within their families and societies and structures in general. This is why many times we have to create our own families. We shouldn’t be rejected for something we cannot change about ourselves. This is why the perspective of the parents was so important. It’s the only way we can educate the older generation, to see elders lead by example by accepting their children who are a part of the queer community.”
Emergence unpacks the journey to self acceptance that begins in an environment built against the freedom to love yourself. It beautifully tackles the unique experience of navigating sexuality in South Asian culture. Emphasizing that spirituality could not be left out of the film, Alex explains, “In Sikhism, when two people come together to be in a relationship or love each other, it is not a physical body and a physical gender (as in a male and a female) coming together. They are actually two souls, two spirits coming together, and the soul and spirit are divine light, divine energy that are genderless. Their light will be together, and it cannot be defined by gender.”
The film accentuates the importance of redemption by giving the audience hope that you can find joy, live a normal life, and have a sense of community while being queer and navigating your identity. Though there can be a lot of shame that comes from within yourself, finding role models who look like you and share your experience is paramount in your own journey; Emergence acts as a mentor and is a collection of stories for queer South Asians to look to.
The film shows us that we don’t have to mold ourselves to society's expectations. In fact, when we break out of a certain framework, that’s when we find ourselves and our communities and discover our happiness. It teaches us that we can find joy in our lives, and people like us, because we are never alone.
You can watch Emergence: Out of the Shadows at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival between November 11th and 14th. For more information, check out the following link: https://emergencefilm.net/film-festivals/
Tasheal Gill is a film production student with a passion for storytelling through various artistic platforms. She is dedicated to uplifting BIPOC voices, and telling stories through a socially conscious lens. Follow her on Instagram (@tashealgill).
