Harjant Gill

Mardistan

A documentary by Harjant Gill about four different Punjabi men and their perceptions of masculinity in India.

Lot's Wife

Lot's Wife is a modern day tale of Sodom and Gomorrah set in a shantytown located on the outskirts of Istanbul, Turkey. Mehmet is a young hardworking guy who lives in a small house that belongs to his uncle Seyfeddin. Unbeknownst to Seyfeddin, Mehmet is living with his lover Ali. On one summer day, Seyfeddin along with his wife Meryem, and two brothers, Hidir and Mikail barge into Mehmet's apartment, threatening to destroy everything he hopes for and had created with Ali so far.

Milind Soman Made Me Gay

A conceptual documentary about desire and notions of 'home' and 'belonging'. The film employs a unique mix of visual elements along with voice over narration to juxtapose memories of the filmmaker's past against stories of three gay South Asian men living in the diaspora. Overshadowing these nostalgic explorations of life 'back home,' are harsh realities of homophobia and racism in America and an on-going struggle to find a place of belonging.

Sent Away Boys

What happens to families in the absence of sons? What happens to land in the absence of farmers? What happens to villages in the absence of men? Sent Away Boys weaves together stories of individual ambitions and family biographies from Punjab (India) to chronicle the gradual transformation of agrarian landscape and patriarchal traditions through ongoing transnational migration. As the promise of a secure future in agriculture grows increasingly uncertain for young men across the region, escaping India to join the low-wage labor in countries like Canada and USA becomes their sole aspiration. In rural Punjab, being a successful man now entails leaving their village, traveling abroad, and sending money home. Through interviews with men preparing to undertake often risky journeys and women awaiting the return of their sons, brothers and husbands, Sent Away Boys shows how young men's decisions to emigrate implicate families and communities across North India.

Sent Away Boys

What happens to families in the absence of sons? What happens to land in the absence of farmers? What happens to villages in the absence of men? Sent Away Boys weaves together stories of individual ambitions and family biographies from Punjab (India) to chronicle the gradual transformation of agrarian landscape and patriarchal traditions through ongoing transnational migration. As the promise of a secure future in agriculture grows increasingly uncertain for young men across the region, escaping India to join the low-wage labor in countries like Canada and USA becomes their sole aspiration. In rural Punjab, being a successful man now entails leaving their village, traveling abroad, and sending money home. Through interviews with men preparing to undertake often risky journeys and women awaiting the return of their sons, brothers and husbands, Sent Away Boys shows how young men's decisions to emigrate implicate families and communities across North India.