Director Ananth Subramaniam talks about his short film Bleat!, queerness, and Tamil culture

THE idea behind Pride Month lies in rebellion. The first Pride march was held in June 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots in New York.

- ASHWIN S

THE idea behind Pride Month lies in rebellion. The first Pride march was held in June 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots in New York. For filmmaker Ananth Subramaniam, who believes telling the stories of the underdogs is important, the recognition for his recent film, Bleat! (Kattu!), was a shot in the arm. The film won the Queer Palm at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. "My interest in cinema is passed down from my parents," says Ananth, who studied architecture for his undergraduate studies in Malaysia. It was in Malaysia that he had the opportunity to make documentaries, albeit in an amateurish manner. Shifting his focus to short films proved to be a better decision. Liar Land, one of his short films, received a special mention in the Locarno Film Festival. His other short film, The House of Brick and Stone, premiered at the Fantasia Festival, which was held in Montreal, Canada.

Ananth considers