Sad Mag: Where did the idea for What I LOVE about being QUEER come from?
Vivek Shraya: Queer-based or queer-inspired art is often rooted in or weighted by some form of tragedy, as seen/heard in coming out narratives, stories relating to homophobic bullying, gaybashing or HIV/AIDS. These narratives are incredibly important and powerful as they provide healing, visibility, access to equal rights and remind us of our history, but as an artist who has explored similar themes and told similar stories, I found myself hungering for the other side of the spectrum, stories that celebrate who we are.
I decided that one way to approach this gap was to directly pose the question: “What do you LOVE about being QUEER?” To answer this question is essentially to think of queerness queerly, as for many queers, we first learn how to answer the opposite.
My other inspiration came from the work I do at George Brown College, where queer youth often disclose how much they are struggling with this part of their identity. I wanted to create something that didn’t ask them to wait for ten years to pass for things to get better, but rather, provided some reasons, here and now, why being queer is special and worth celebrating.
SM: Where did you find your subjects?
VS: In honesty, the first people I asked were my friends as they were the ones whose answers I was initially most interested in hearing. The other participants are activists, artists, educators and people who inspire me, mostly living in Ontario.
SM: What do you hope an audience goes away talking about after seeing your movie?
VS: The hope is that through this short film, viewers will engage in the often overlooked or undermined, positive aspects of being queer through a spectrum of queer voices and bodies. Positive representation and stories about queers are vital to a global community where “tolerance” and “acceptance” are still held as ideals versus genuine understanding and celebration of diversity. It is also my hope that queers struggling with this part of their identity will connect with an answer (or many!) that allows them to look at this complicated part of who they are a little differently.
SM: Is this your first film?
VS: This is my third short film. My first film explores racism in the gay community and is called Seeking Single White Male and the second film, Ache In My Name, is explores the challenges of immigrant identity.
SM: Is this your first film in the Queer Film Fest?
VS: No, I was very fortunate to have Seeking Single White Male screened at the festival last year. Amber Dawn, the festival’s Director of Programming, has been incredibly supportive of my work.
SM: How important is it for platforms like the Queer Film Fest for filmmakers such as yourself?
VS: Platforms such as the Vancouver Queer Film Festival are incredibly important because not only do they allow the opportunity for artists to have their work exposed to a broader audience, there is nothing quite like watching your film with a theatre full of people who end up providing direct feedback to your work via their laughter or oohs! or silence etc. So much consumption of video/film happens via the internet and that immediate connection to the audience is lost.
Also being part of festivals is a wonderful opportunity to meet other artists, engage with other art and be inspired! Being at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival last year actually provided the inspiration for What I LOVE about being QUEER and I began filming shortly after, so this screening feels like lovely completion of the circle.
SM: What’s next for Vivek?
VS: Aside from planning more screenings of What I LOVE about being QUEER, my main focus right now has been working on my second book.
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Moonshine is not a type of liquor, it’s a catch-all term for any spirit that has been made illegally or by using a backyard still. Whiskey, rum, brandy, vodka are all commonly referred to as moonshine if they meet the basic requirement that they are made by some guy in his backyard. People think of moonshine and 90% alcohol comes to mind (also its terrible taste). It’s true, what comes out of our still is that strong, but we pay close attention to taste and fermentation. We water it down and charcoal filter it. Finally, we age with fresh fruit and toasted oak chips to give it flavour. It doesn’t taste like a commercial product. It tastes more personal and not as neatly categorized as liquor store aisles.
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