Transcending Silences: Queer(ing) Cinematic Memory of the Malayalee ‘Spectacle’
Abstract
The queering of cinematic memory emerges as a transformative force in Malayalam cinema, challenging historical silences and the marginalization of the “Other,” with these evolving portrayals significantly shaping cultural narratives and reflecting the dynamic socio-cultural landscape. The concept of “other” represents a spectrum of gender expressions and sexual orientations. The increase in queer visibility within film holds the promise of broadening the scope of queer subjectivity, fostering alternative or non-binary counter-narratives that challenge entrenched binary discourses, and confront traditional strategies that often oscillate between marginalization and normalization. It is in this context that we conceptualize this article, unravelling the cinematic memory of homosexual representation through the specific lens of the Malayalam film Kaathal – The Core (2023). The confluence of ecclesiastical influence, political maneuvering, and entrenched societal conventions coalesce, crafting a complex and nuanced matrix that profoundly shapes the master narrative. The film’s visual language, steeped in the subtleties of masculinity of a closeted gay man and his family spatiality, serves as a poignant social commentary. The film emerges as a transformative cinematic prism, dissecting the dynamics of cinematic memory and identity formation while critically examining the state's influence in sculpting societal attitudes towards queer identities.