Sunday, June 19, 2011

Harsh Beauty





Existing as they have for centuries, the Eunuchs (or Hijra) are considered the third gender, neither men nor women. Harsh Beauty follows over a period of 3 years the lives of Jyothi, Usha and hira bai, three Eunuchs who live openly as women, and want to be accepted as their true selves.

This one hour documentary uses a verite approach, creating intimate and personal accounts of their lives, without presenting an anthropological perspective. Set against the vibrant energy of the Indian metropolis, Harsh Beauty takes a glance into a society rarely seen and often misunderstood.

dir. Alessandra Zeka
2005 54 min. India
Hindi and Tamil w/English subtitles