Painting the Spectrum 14 opens with “SASOD is 15” short film

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) will open its annual film festival, “Painting the Spectrum,” with a short film commemorating SASOD’s 15th anniversary.
The festival not only portrays a diversity of experiences from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, but also features different genres of films: from comedies to experimental shorts, drama, and completely new documentaries.
Featuring over 40 films from all over the world, the festival takes place from 18:00h every Tuesday and Thursday in the month of September at SASOD’s office, located at 203 Duncan Street, Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown.
The first week’s theme, “What is Gender, Anyway?” focuses on gender norms, expectations, and persons of transgender experience answering commonly asked questions and creating space for positive discussion and analyses. The festival officially opens on Tuesday, September 4, with the screening of “SASOD is 15!” and a panel discussion featuring diverse stakeholders who will reflect on SASOD’s journey as a Guyanese movement.
Following the panel, on Tuesday, the feature film “Bixa Travesty” will open the festival. “Bixa Travesty” is a documentary that follows Mc Linn Da Quebrada, a black transwoman, performer and activist, living in impoverished São Paulo. Her electrifying performances brazenly take on Brazil’s machismo. The film is one of the most acclaimed recent LGBT movies, and was presented at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2018. It also won the Best Documentary Award at the Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and the Special Jury Award at the Toronto Inside Out Film Festival.
On Thursday, September 6, the festival continues with a screening of ten shorts on themes such as being non-binary (not conforming to being either male or female), and the rejection transgender people sometimes face from their families and friends. These shorts come from ten different countries around the world, including Spain, Iran, India, the Netherlands and Brazil.
“Painting the Spectrum 14” will continue every Tuesday and Thursday of September with themes such as “Love, Sex and Everything in Between”, “Our Rights, Our Culture, Our History” and “Let’s Experiment.” Admission to the film festival is free.
The films are intended for mature audiences. Persons must be eighteen years and over to attend. SASOD reserves the right to refuse admission to persons who do not have identification to prove that they are not minors.
The film festival aims to both offer a safe space for the LGBTQ+ Guyanese to interact and communicate, and to educate the general public by presenting queer-themed films, which are almost never screened in mainstream cinemas in Guyana.
SASOD is an international, award-winning, 15-year-old human rights movement and organisation, leading change and educating and serving communities to end discrimination based on sexuality and gender in Guyana.