For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their sexuality within conservative South Asian families was a lonely and terrifying experience. Denial, shame, and despair haunted their youths, even threatening their lives. Yet, they’ve emerged. In the gripping feature documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows, the disparate journeys of Kayden, Jag, and Amar candidly converge around a shared sense of compassion and healing as they bravely convey their often heart-wrenching stories. Confronted with tradition and taboo in their Punjabi Sikh cultures, resisting silence, Jag’s parents and Amar’s mother choose love over rejection, offering courage and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling with acceptance. Tender, thoughtful, and teary, Emergence: Out of the Shadows asserts a potent and transformative voice in support of marginalized queer youth and their families. Watch the official trailer (less than 2 minutes) and learn more about the film on its official website.
Sher Vancouver has made the documentary available for non-commercial use on YouTube in a few different formats with subtitles in English, Hindi, and Punjabi. Surrey teachers Annie Ohana and Sharon Sehrai wrote the official discussion guide for the documentary (Emergence: Out of the Shadows Teacher’s Discussion Guide). It is also available online for anyone using the documentary for educational, non-commerical purposes.
The full 81-minute documentary is also available with Hindi subtitles, Punjabi subtitles, and French subtitles, alongside a shorter 58 minute broadcast version with English subtitles.
For all screening, distribution, or related inquiries regarding Sher Vancouver LGBTQ Friends Society’s documentary, Emergence: Out of the Shadows, please contact Founder Alex Sangha at info@shervancouver.com. Third parties are required to obtain prior written permission to use any documentary materials. Unauthorized use of these materials is strictly prohibited.
