Outlaws shorts program

Trans feminine stories from China, South Korea, Pakistan and India are beautifully explored in this short film program. In Lipstick, bullied highschooler Joonwoon meets an enigmatic figure in a laundromat who will lead Joonwoon on an emotional journey of discovery towards an embodied truth. Miss Man follows Manob, who is coming to terms with the realization that she may be a trans woman. Facing homophobic violence from her father, and abandonment from her boyfriend, Manob must make a difficult choice to stand up for herself. The young trans protagonist in We Outlaws goes on a journey to find self expression and romantic connection in China before indecency laws are lifted. And in Smile, our main character finds self fulfillment through a small act of rebellion. While these films are often heartbreaking in their depictions of the reality of transphobia, they also show the resilience, strength and beauty of these protagonists, who face enormous personal and systemic obstacles in the way of embodying their true selves.

Lipstick

Esten Chen / South Korea / 2019 / 12 min / Korean with English Subtitles

Miss Man

Tathagata Ghosh / India / 2019 / 25 min / Bengali with English Subtitles

We Outlaws

Wang Kaixuan / China / 2020 / 34 min / Mandarin with English Subtitles

Smile

Hasan Raza Khan / Pakistan / 2018 / 2 min / Urdu with English Subtitles