Anjana George's debut film 'Binary Error' delves into pressures of gendered roles through loss

Anjana George

Objects trigger memories. Even the most ordinary object - when visited in the thick of longing - can unmask profound happenings. Such is the nature of looking back. Binary Error, a short film recently released on the Internet, has a telling attachment with long-agos. The film opens with a phone call at Cherthala police station in Kerala. We learn about Rosamma's death - an elderly widow who resided next to Cherthala's sub inspector, Sunny Thomas. Thomas knew Rosamma as a kind and healthy woman; in his preliminary investigation, he finds a letter that speaks of desolation and cherished parenthood in retrospect. Excerpts from this letter, addressed to her daughter, inform Thomas thereon.

Adam Harry and Sunny Wayne in a moment from the film

The film seeking closure to a woman's suicide soon turns into a pursuit for her daughter's whereabouts - and naturally, her identity. What could have killed Rosamma? What could have stood between a mother and her child? The director shares that her decade-long experience in journalism has brought her at close quarters with the lack of nuance. "As a journalist, I have written on films and gender. I couldn't have ignored the lack of awareness about non-binary people. There's appropriation and relentless pandering to social biases. I had been thinking about the subject for long but putting it out there - as a cis-gendered individual - meant greater responsibility," says George.

Although Malayalam actor Sunny Wayne leads the script, Adam Harry - who plays Anthony, Rosamma's confidante in the locality - represents diverse struggles. The director was always critical of a cis person playing fictional trans roles. "I understand the need for a face with a market value. But that's not reason enough to bypass trans talents. While Wayne is a well-known actor in Kerala, Harry is India's first transman pilot," she reasons. Although George's narrative of voices beyond binaries has been embraced by the queer community, many have labelled it as propaganda.

Will Thomas' investigation lead him to his departed neighbour's daughter? Or, will it point audiences to an element of surprise? George reckons should such surprise rouse audiences, they must question their understanding of gender. For a purposeful premise and the unique third-person inspection of the personal, we like the composed pace of the film more than its abrupt end.

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