30 years ago, the great Deepa Mehta gnited the hearts of so many when she gave us Fire, the first film in what would become her iconic “elements trilogy.”

Loosely based on Ismat Chughtai’s 1942 story “Lihaaf” (The Quilt), the film marked a groundbreaking portrait of two Indian women (Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das) who fall fiercely in love with each other. Its release in India was met with extreme controversy, with right wing politicians calling it “immoral and pornographic” and even smashing glass planes and burning posters at screenings.

Fire would set off a flurry of public dialogue around both gay rights and freedom of speech, and ultimately led to lesbian and gay rights activists in India to be a lot more vocal about both their existence and the erasure of queerness from India’s historical heritage.

But beyond the fact that it changed the face of queer rights in India, Fire also gave us a bold, tender and deeply moving new addition to the queer cinema canon. And on June 22nd at 7:30pm, we will reignite its flame together at Paradise 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Tickets now available here, and thank you so much to Jehan Vakharia for designing this gorgeous poster for the occasion, which will be available in print at the screening.