B25
34 minutes | Hindi, English with English subtitles | 2024
Raqeeb and Manvendra
Inside the walls of B25 is a sanctuary, where lives intersect, stories intertwine and people flourish. The film offers glimpses of these unconventional bonds and experiences that reframe notions of home and belonging, while reflecting on queerness, love, chosen families, gender, identity and freedom, against the backdrop of a rapidly changing India.
Indian Documentary Film Festival, Bhubaneswar
Raqeeb is a writer, photographer, filmmaker and researcher from Kolkata, based in Delhi. Most of his work revolves around redefining masculinity in the Indian context, presenting an antithesis to existing representation, with a focus on queer intimacies and identities. Nominated twice as the LGTBQIA+ Voice of the Year at the Cosmo India Blogger Awards, he is currently pursuing his PhD on queerness, films and family. Raqeeb has exhibited his photographic work at several platforms, including Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai, and Khoj Studios, Delhi. His films include the Our Satrangi Jahaan, produced by Lotus Visual Productions, which he co-directed.
Manvendra is a queer scholar and performance artist with a Master's degree in Performance Studies from Ambedkar University, Delhi. Their work delves into the intersections of performance, identity and social inquiry, with a keen focus on the concepts of home and queerness. Passionate about exploring digital and everyday performances, Manvendra conceptualises both virtual and real-time performance art pieces as windows to imagine alternatives. They view Delhi as their first love, drawing inspiration from the city’s vibrant landscape. Manvendra's curiosities lie in queerness and the transformative potential of performance art. They are a fellow of queerbeat's Youth Storytelling Project.
Directors: Raqeeb, Manvendra
Writers: Manvendra, Raqeeb
Performance: Vidur Sethi
Voiceover: Raqeeb
Cinematographers: Mohit Tiwari, Raqeeb
Assistant Cinematographer: Nil
Sound Designer: Pratik Biswas
Editor: Zijah Sherwani