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The good and the bad
"Bombay Eunuch" - directed by Alexandra Shiva, Sean MacDonald and Michelle Gucovsky
11.28 - Posted by Editor
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11.28.01 -- My film professor used to say that a good documentary should take viewers to a place they've never been before. "Bombay Eunuch," the new eye-opener of a film from directors Alexandra Shiva, Sean MacDonald and Michelle Gucovsky, is precisely that kind of documentary.
"Bombay Eunuch" takes us into the world of eunuchs, or hijras, castrated men who belong in neither gender who are part of 2000 years of tradition in India. Much like Chinese eunuchs, these Indian eunuchs once were highly regarded as imperial servants. But unlike their Chinese counterparts who have ceased to exist in society, the Indian eunuchs are still very much part of everyday Indian culture. They interact freely in society but are marginalized to form their own social class and "gender." The filmmakers began with the idea of making a documentary dealing with gender issues, but what they ended up with is a story of survival.
Our connection to this world is a eunuch "mother" named Meena, the matriarch of a group of adopted eunuch daughters who have formed a make-shift family after being ostracized by their own families. Because of their inferior social status as eunuchs, they’re made to lead a difficult life of begging and prostitution. Not very sexually educated, they hardly ever practice safe sex and think that HIV can be cured with three shots.
Prostitution also forms the basis of their paradoxical existence. Eunuchs are castrated because they’re meant to be asexual beings, but they must rely on their sexuality in order to survive as a eunuch. This is also where eunuchs differ from transsexuals. Whereas transsexuals are often motivated by their sexual desires, eunuchs are motivated by a kind of "divine" calling. But the film never makes clear why eunuchs choose this route if not motivated by sexuality. Eunuchs no longer have the same societal function or respect they once held in India. And if being a eunuch means begging and prostitution, what exactly is in it for them?
The film is interesting not only because of its exotic subject matter but because the subjects themselves are so contradictory and complex. The eunuchs claim that they are of neither gender or sexuality. They reject claims that they're homosexuals. But they maintain overtly feminine appearances, wearing saris and makeup. And many of them have husbands. Being married to a man (who almost always has a legitimate wife as well) seems to be the ideal for which these eunuchs strive. The lines become really murky between these eunuchs and transsexuals, despite their constant reminder of belonging in the former and not latter group.
"Bombay Eunuch" is also interesting in that the filmmakers and the filmmaking process not only have a real presence in the film but also become a central theme in the last act of the film. The film is constructed like a very typical documentary, combining verite footage with narration, archival photos, Hindi film clips, and interviews with experts. But the narration is done by Shiva, one of the filmmakers, instead of some omniscient voice from a third party. It's a device often utilized in personal documentaries, but not common in documentaries of this kind. At first I thought this may have strictly been a budgetary choice, but then I sensed that there is really an effort to personalize the film for the filmmakers. The film is as much about eunuchs in Bombay as it is also about the journey of making this film. Shiva never fails to update us on the filming process - telling us why they decided to make the film and how long they filmed. The characters also refer to the filmmakers freely (Meena in one particularly humorous scene admitted to being attracted to one of the filmmakers) and acknowledge the fact that they are constantly being filmed. Many documentaries want to shy away from the acknowledgement of camera and crew presence - they are meant to be invisible. But the truth is the cameras are very much present in these characters' lives and it is only natural to allude to them. Being followed by a film crew is probably the most exciting thing that can happen to most people.
The film reaches its emotional climax in the third act when Meena has a falling out with the filmmakers. Having been thrown out of a "eunuch conference" because of the presence of a film crew, Meena reveals in an emotional breakdown just how dangerous (and perhaps futile) it is for her to be opening up to the filmmakers. She can risk excommunication from the community and in all honesty, she's not sure if the film can do much to change the lot of eunuchs in India. Demanding more money from the filmmakers, Meena eventually halted further filming. The fallout raises a slew of ethical questions concerning documentary filmmakers and their subjects. Where do documentary filmmakers cross the line of being exploitative? Should filming continue if it is more hurtful than beneficial for your subjects? Is it ethical to pay for your subjects? And where do the documentary film audience fit into the whole equation?
By the end of "Bombay Eunuch," the film has raised more questions about documentary filmmaking than the fate of eunuchs in Bombay. It has become thought provoking in more ways than one. And that is what distinguishes this film from possibly a typical historical documentary on eunuchs on A&E.
by making films on eunuchs , filmmakers are doing a great job, because they are in a never ending process of trying to raise the respect pedestal of eunuchs in the eyes of the viewer which is very important because you just can't neglect a certain section of the society just as you can't chop off your arm from your body and people should be made to realise that we are the ones responsible for their illicit behaviour. i ,too am doing a research on portrayal of eunuchs in indian films,so if there is something u'd like to share i would be obliged for the same.
ofcourse i have not seen the film but i have gone through some review articles.as i am working on indian eunuchs(in madhya pradesh)since last 10 yrs. and doing empirical researchs.hoping this film will contribute in buiding a positive image of hijras.
hey the article was excellent !! i am actually a mass media student ... and planning to make a movie on eunuchs .. but i went through certain articles which said it is difficult to get their inetrviews and know about them .. it would be very kind of if u tell me how to go about it ??
thankin you
shruti
the ethical question about the thin line which separates benefit to the subject and xploitation of the subject is something which needs to be debated and worked upon. if possible a benchmarking of the line must be done to stop misuse and abuse of the subject for financial benefits
representation is a means of recognition; at least the film does away with the invisibility of a marginal group
[Originally posted 2/26/02 - Ed.]
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