Between the Lines - Indiens drittes Geschlecht (2005)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Thomas Wartmann

Writers:

Dorothea Rieker (collaboration)
Thomas Wartmann (writer)

Release Date:

31 August 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Festival | Aravaan | Alcoholism | Guru | Prostitution

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi	...	Herself (as Laxmi)
Rhamba	...	Herself
Asha	...	Herself
Anita Khemka	...	Herself

Also Known As:

Between the Lines - Indiens drittes Geschlecht zwischen Mystik, Spiritualität und Prostitution (Germany) (promotional title)
Between the Lines: India's Third Gender (UK) (wide-release title)

Runtime:

Germany:95 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

English | Hindi | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, India

Company:

Arte

In Between Their Lines

Between The Lines - India's Third Gender leaves one with deep thoughts on why does one wants to go for a sex change, or live in a life of the opposite sex.

Viewers will be exposed to the world of Hijras (eunuch) through the eyes of Anita Khemka, a female photographer, where she introduces the lives of 3 Hijras: Laxmi, Asha and Rhamba.

Laxmi is a dance instructor who prostitutes himself to earn an extra income. He was loved by the people around him, and he is contended with his life, even though he faces discrimination by some people around him. (Note: I uses 'he' as he has not went through the castration ceremony, and he will not be going through the ceremony.) Asha is an former prostitute who now goes begging on the streets, and drowns herself in alcohol whenever she is upset. Bearing a painful childhood, Asha has been living in a life she had never wanted to.

Rhamba lives in a temple with the other Hijras and she perform blessing ceremonies and exorcism for a token sum of fee. She is contended with what she had, and wish to be reborn as a Hijra in her next life.

In the 95 min documentary, viewers will not only be presented with their daily life, but also on their thoughts on being a hijra, love and relationship, families and sex. This explores the other side of a life of the hijras living in poverty. (in fact, only a little number of hijras could be as fortunate as Laxmi, who is not only able to support himself financially, but also getting the acceptance of his parents.) Between The Lines is one of the documentaries that is not only rare, but thought provoking.