There are two mothers featured in Shiva Krish’s heartfelt documentary short, Amma’s Pride, but while they both support their children, one believes her son’s happiness needs to be found elsewhere. Krish’s film explores acceptance, visibility, and the importance of being seen in order for a wider community to understand you all while keeping a sensitive focus on its lead subjects. Amma’s Pride is a great example of how queer and trans people can succeed if they are given uncompromisable affection.
“People ask me if she’s a trans woman,” says Valli about her daughter, Srija, near the top of the film. “I say yes! So, what? She’s a blessing from God.” Hearing this line was a breath of fresh air as we still need to see more parents supporting their transgender children, and Amma’s Pride reinforces its unshakable confidence when this line is presented to us. I couldn’t help but hone in on Valli’s smile throughout her interviews. Valli stood by Srija as she became the first legally recognized transgender person to have her marriage certified in South India. Krish’s film is not about legal battles or courtroom drama but about the emotional implications that come from being in the public eye and how that recognition weighs on a person’s psyche.
Krish chronicles not just the success of Srija and Arun’s union but also its failings. Arun struggles to keep working due to the public pressure of his relationship, and it leads to troubling developments at home. Arun doesn’t speak much even when his mother repeatedly tells him that he needs to separate from Srija. “People will avoid her,” she tells him in a moment of open callousness, but it only allows Valli’s support of her daughter to shine brighter.
Amma’s Pride celebrates the resilience of women and the powerful bond between mother and daughter. So many stories of transness are mired in tragedy and hopelessness, and some of that trauma is rooted in the home. Krish doesn’t deny or shy away from Srija’s hardships, but his film looks outwardly to thank the parents who know in their hearts that loving your child is not a choice at all.
Amma’s Pride is streaming through Out On Films virtual progamming through October 6.
