A poetic, memoir-style reflection and prayer that chronicles Prajna Paramita Choudhury's 25-year journey of coming out to her traditional Bangladeshi mother. Through intimate and tender storytelling, the film offers a meditative spiritual experience, showcasing how Prajna connects with Buddhist practices and nature to foster intergenerational healing. Paramita captures the quiet power of this deeply personal journey, inviting viewers into a space of empathy and reflection.

Director Biography - Kirthi Nath

Kirthi Nath is a South Asian American lesbian filmmaker who believes that if we want to change our culture, we have to change our stories. This also includes how we tell our stories and who tells it. Over the past 20+ years, Kirthi has established a body of creative work that fluidly straddles genres, occupying a fertile landscape of cultural poetics, intersectional storytelling, social justice and spirituality. Her creative practice roots from a foundation of art as activism, uplifting marginalized voices, and actively engages the living question, ‘What does decolonized, women of color, feminist storytelling look like?’.

Kirthi’s work has been featured at festivals such as CAAMfest, ThirdI, Framline, Boston’s Wicked, in solo shows at YBCA and ATA, as well as in commissioned projects for V-Day, One Billion Rising, Off the Mat and Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative (Advancement Project, APIAHF, Demos, Faith in Action, NAACP, National Congress of American Indians, NUL, Race Forward, UnidosUS). Kirthi has been awarded media funds from CAAM, CCI, V-Day Media and was part of the inaugural RePresent Media RETAKE BIPOC Fellowship, and is a proud member of BGDM, Bitchitra and A-Doc.

Director Statement

Told from a fresh, nuanced perspective, PARAMITA explores the intersections of coming out, Buddhist spirituality, and intergenerational healing. Inspired by photographer Carrie Mae Weems’ insight that it’s not just about who is at the center of a story but how that story is told, PARAMITA shifts the narrative lens. It offers a rare representation for BIPOC and LGBTQ communities—not only by highlighting a story that is often overlooked but by declaring that healing is possible, both within families and in the face of colonization.

PARAMITA brings a unique voice to the conversation about coming out, showing that it is not solely an individual experience, but a family process capable of sparking transformation and courage for parents as well.

Where it was once thought that stories about BIPOC and LGBTQ people only resonated with affinity communities, the truth is that these stories are universal. As we witness Prajna and her mother’s journey of healing and transformation, we’re reminded of the potential for change within ourselves.

The Bay Area premiere of PARAMITA at the Mill Valley Film Festival, alongside films like ALOK and Out of the Dark: Cal Calamia, affirmed that this film is part of a new wave of Queer BIPOC storytelling. This wave signals a revolutionary era for filmmaking, where historically marginalized voices are not only supported but celebrated. These stories shift the focus away from suffering and exotified resilience to emphasize liberation and empowerment. By reclaiming our own narratives, we share stories of healing, belonging, and transformative joy—stories that serve as medicine not just for our communities but for society as a whole.

Now is the time for this story to be told.