Chuppan Chupai (Hide & Seek, 2013)
Directors: Saad Khan, Saadat Munir
Producers: Christina Andersen, Saad Khan, Saadat Munir
Runtime: 68 minutes
Countries: Pakistan, Denmark
Language: Urdu
Format: Documentary
Year: 2013
Starring (As self): Neeli Rana, Kami Sid, Waseem, Jenny
Distributor: Khajistan Releasing
Chuppan Chupai (Hide & Seek) is a landmark 2013 documentary filmed across Lahore and Rawalpindi, following four individuals whose lives reveal the social and political realities of queer and trans existence in Pakistan in the early 2010s. Shot with quiet, observational intimacy and originally conceived as a research diary, the film captures beauty salons, dance floors and domestic spaces where its subjects negotiate visibility, desire and survival. Screened at more than forty international festivals, including Frameline, Outfest and MIX Copenhagen, Chuppan Chupai remains one of the earliest and most important visual records of queer Pakistan.
Khajistan preserves this film as part of its mission to protect and circulate endangered and marginalized histories from the region.
Themes: Gender identity and transition, Queer and trans activism in Pakistan, Underground economies and nightlife, Religious policing and social stigma, Visibility versus safety, Chosen families and survival networks
Content Advisory: Contains real accounts of discrimination, harassment, and discussions of gender identity and sexuality in a hostile environment. May be challenging for some viewers.
Festival Screenings: Mix Copenhagen LGBT Film Festival (Denmark), Pembe Hayat KuirFest (Turkey), Libercine International LGBT Film Festival (Argentina), Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest (UK), Torino GLBT Film Festival (Italy), TranScreen Film Festival (Netherlands), KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (India), Boston LGBT Film Festival (USA), TLVFest Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival (Israel), Frameline San Francisco LGBTQ Film Festival (USA), Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (South Africa), Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (Canada), Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (USA), Q! Film Festival (Indonesia), Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg International Queer Film Festival (Germany), GFest Gaywise Festival (UK), LesGaiCineMad Madrid LGBT Film Festival (Spain), Image+Nation Montréal LGBTQ Film Festival (Canada), Dialogues Calcutta LGBT Film & Video Festival (India), LGBT Film Festival Warsaw (Poland), Cinhomo Valladolid LGBT Film Festival (Spain), Bangalore Queer Film Festival (India), Aks Film+Dialogue Festival (Pakistan), Asha SF Film Festival of Hope (USA), International Festival of Sexual Diversity Cine MOVILH (Chile).
Note: Email info@khajistan.com for acquisitions and licensing.
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