Harsh Beauty

Existing as they have for centuries, the eunuchs (or Hijra) of India are considered the third gender, neither men nor women. The 2005 documentary Harsh Beauty follows over a period of three years the lives of Jyothi, Usha, and hira bai; three Eunuchs who live openly as women and want to be accepted as their true selves.

This one-hour documentary uses a vérité approach, creating intimate and personal accounts of their lives, without presenting an anthropological perspective. Set against the vibrant energy of the Indian metropolis, Harsh Beauty takes a glance into a society rarely seen and often misunderstood.