Short Film Studies - Volume 6, Issue 1, 2016

On Suffocation examines queer realities by destabilizing the western construction of homosexuality and illuminating the harsh conditions that non-western gay men face. I examine how homosexual identity and desire are moulded and restricted by local culture in this film, through ‘unspoken ambiguity’, alongside a stern but vague legal system.

In this article I argue that On Suffocation relies on paratexts in order to articulate what I take to be its most important message. I foreground a few of these paratexts, especially Facebook postings and a festival Q&A session, in order to illustrate the ways in which they contribute to the film’s meaning.