Italy
Rome, Italy
Rai Trade SPa|Rai − Radiotelevisione italiana SpA
film/video, 1998
Madras Eyes mixes both fiction and documentary styles to create a unique film that examines the life story of a young eunuch living in India. Arun, an Indian filmmaker, is wandering through the chaos and confusion of Madras, seeking inspiration for his next movie. Suddenly, he finds himself captivated by a statue of the androgynous god Ardanari - half man, half woman. He asks Sharda, a charming and mysterious eunuch, to tell him about life between the male and the female. Interviews with Sharda and Sharda's family are intercut with recreations of episodes from the young eunuch's life, depicted as if they were filmed for a popular Indian movie. We see Sharda as a curious young boy attracted to all things female and unhappy living as a male. When he grows up, he goes to live with the eunuchs and soon decides to be initiated by taking part in the Sadhara ceremony commonly referred to as Nirvana. Madras Eyes was shot in Southern India with the cooperation of a eunuch community.
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