 Over the past few years, we have seen quite an increase in the number of films that have focused on elements of the transgender community. As well as entertaining, they are a valuable resource for us to learn and understand more about the T in LGBTQA. What has also impressed and delighted us is the unusual approach they use to film their stories, like Niñxs, which is one of the most compelling documentaries we have seen this year.
Filmmaker and activist Kani Lapuerta filmed this over 8 years in the small town of Tepoztlán, in the mountains of central Mexico. (Side note, you have to be at least the 7th generation of your family to be called a local!) Her subject was Karla (15 years old at the end of the film), a very imaginative trans girl who had the unqualified support of her unconventional hippy parents, but still had to deal with abuse from other children and adults in this remote conservative town. In this remarkable piece of guerrilla filming, Lapuerta returned to continue the project over the years, and the two of them formed a tight, extraordinary bond in which we could see Karla mature so much earlier than others of her age. In this, her directing debut, Lapuerta very astutely allows Karla the space to tell her story on her own terms, so we are able to watch her use her vivid imagination to power her through the tougher parts of her transitioning and also to further her very natural sense of humor. The very close relationship with both her parents plays a major part in the journey, something that so many trans children are deprived off, which helps make this journey a sheer joy to watch.
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Review by ROGER WALKER-DACK. Editor-in-Chief. Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of Roger Dack Ltd in the UK ‘ |
