FILM REVIEWS

“The compelling “EMERGENCE: Out of the Shadows” tenderly sheds light on three South Asian adults and their stories of growing up gay. The brave documentary should be required viewing in schools far and wide. Bravo to the producers and all involved.”
Tom Zillich
Surrey Now-Leader

“Coming out is not an easy journey for anybody to take, but particularly for folks within a conservative, traditional South Asian family. Emergence: Out of the Shadows, directed by Vinay Giridhar and produced by Alex Sangha captures exactly this – the complex, painful but resilient journeys of three gay South Asians and their families coming to terms with their sexuality.”
Dani Penaloza
Delta Optimist

“I’ve been seeing documentaries for quite a while now, thanks to Vancouver Queer Film Festival, but this one covered a subject that was a little less known, homosexuality among South Asians. A beautiful heartfelt documentary with beautiful heartfelt stories that show amongst issues, some families stay together, and some people still manage to stay strong no matter what life has hurled at them. The interviews were done very professionally and subjects were extremely open and really explained a lot of interesting information about themselves. It goes to show, people who struggle with who they are, are not alone. We all have struggles, and while they may not be over something like this, we can certainly feel and understand after watching a moving documentary like this one.”
Nick Wangersky
Hollywood North Magazine

“The queer experience is far from universal, and Emergence: Out of the Shadows captures this expertly. The film tells three stories that are quite different – Kayden’s, Amar’s, and Jag’s – and weaves them together in a heartwarming, hopeful climax . . . The film does a good job of bringing to light the intersection between the multiple identities that exist within each person – such as brown, Sikh, Canadian – and how they deeply affect the experience of being queer . . . But by far, Emergence’s biggest strength lies in the decision to include the protagonists’ parents and have them share their own journey of acceptance . . . The film tackles difficult questions about queer identity, Indian familial structures, and complex relationships, all while firmly holding onto the belief that the light at the end of the tunnel is very much within reach for queer people, even if it comes to everyone in different ways. Emergence: Out of the Shadows is an honest and sincere take on queer Indian diaspora.”
“N”
Gaysi (India)

“The documentary is gonna leave a lump in your throat – at some point. Your tears will trickle down the cheeks without your realization. And, that’s a success for the entire cast and production department of Emergence: Out of Shadows. As the cast members of the documentary start sharing their different responses they exhibited during low phases of their life, you will start relating to some of the trials and tribulations they have gone through. For me, Kayden’s journey particularly stood out. It gave me goosebumps when he talked about how he contemplated dying by suicide at one point of life. It takes immense guts to talk about molestation, suicidal past and feelings, and more so on camera, and Kayden by talking about it proved that he’s on the path of healing – and in a much better place compared to where he was earlier. It also made me realize that like love; hate can be universal. Yes, the documentary does that to you!”
Vinay Agrawal
Gaylaxy Magazine
India