Constructing Transness: Visual Representation and Ethics in Cinema and OTT

Abstract

ABSTRACT

DOI: https://doi.org/10.82471/dfnxb-ntn69

In the world of philosophy, the concept of ethics and morality find a prime place. Perhaps, Ethics is the most widely used word that governs every aspect of human life. This is exploratory research using content analysis attempts to find answers to some of the fundamental questions of ethics of visual representation in cinema in the world of OTT. As we are all facing a world today with unprecedented changes and challenges, we witness a highly dynamic and to an extent volatile shift in values and ethics that once looked universal and fixed. The viewers in 2022 are a part of a new global world. They need a higher level of sensitivity and empathy to understand the literature and cinema based on marginal groups. Cinema today are about different aspects of human psyche - from the most gruesome and ugly to the most beautiful and powerful. In such a juncture, the discussion of ethics in visual representation calls for a nuanced approach and insight to study cinema on OTT platform. The first part of the study is to understand ethics from a theoretical perspective and develop an understanding about the concept of ethical representation. The second part deals with the understanding of the concept of transgender representation in cinema. In this chapter few popular cinemas of the West and popular Indian cinema where transgender characters are portrayed has been discussed. The third part is a comparative analysis of content of cinema in OTT platform and analyse them from ethical point of view. The fourth part would discuss the various parameters for judging visual representation and suggest some vital points to the filmmakers to ponder over it while choosing stories and develop content for cinema. The concluding part consists of some questions for the readers, filmmakers, and researchers.

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