TRIBECA FILM FEST 2014: MALA MALA
At home, you’re one person. At work, you’re another. We put on different personas in accordance to our surroundings but at the end of the day, most of us know who we are and most of us are openly accepted in society. In MALA MALA, a new documentary about the Transsexual community by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini, we meet a vast array of people living, working, loving, and advocating within the LGBTQ community of Puerto Rico. Througout the film, we're introducted to several facinating and entertaining character that put an all new spin on personal and sexual identification.
Sandy is a 35 year old who works the streets all night long, hiding the face that she has not had full genital reassignment on yet. She longs for the opportunity to end workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Ivana is the most well known transsexual on the island. She has also been able to afford to alter her body to appear extremely feminine. Guest starring on morning talk shows and the like, she hopes to use her status to help educate the community and eventually get other trans sex workers off the streets for good. Soraya is a 65 year old transsexual who has successfully gone to court to have her gender on her birth certificate legally changed. She speaks of “gender dysphoria”, something that we don’t talk enough about anywhere in the world, and serves as a guiding light for all those seek knowledge in making the transition. Samantha had to halt her transition due to medical complications that came about when she turned to buying black market hormones. She performs as a drag queen at night to keep her spirits alive and hopes to complete her transition in the future. Sophia was a club owner after her successful transition. She struggles with where to fit in in everyday life, be it going to the grocery store or just walking along the beach. April is a drag queen by night and Jason, a 23 year old, ice cream shop boy, during the day. April lands a spot on Rupaul’s Drag Race (Season 6) while performing at a local club called The Doll House. Queen Bee is a popular drag queen longing for stardom. Tired of local celebrity, she longs to compete in Chicago largest female impersonation contest, The Miss Continental pageant. Alberic hit it big in the local scene, has had numerous surgeries to more feminize his features, but vehemently announces he will stay a man. He knows that the life and career of a super star drag queen is fleeting. He desires to pursue a degree in corporate law. Paxx struggles to fit into a world where he wants to make a female to male transition. There is even less support for this reassignment in the medical world. He lives with his girlfriend and has yet to come “out” to his family. Then there is the newly founded "Butterflies Trans Foundation." Their goals are education, information, and acceptance. Their motto is: “Fighting to reach old age with dignity and equality.” They’ve started a fund to build a retirement home for again transsexuals without family.
Dan and Antonio tackle huge issues in this film. It’s a brave portrait of a community that feels left behind. It’s beautifully shot. They were able to physically strip away the veneer and get to the emotional core of each individual. We are exposed to the glamour and show but also the danger and reality of what it is like for those who struggle to get off the streets. This film is about finding yourself and feeling safe expressing who you are inside and out. It’s a touching 89 minutes in which truth is pitted against fiction. The theater that I attended was packed to the brim. On more than a few occasions during the screening, clapping erupted. Everyone was with the subjects, everyone was on their side. In NYC, it may be difficult to imagine this culture not being welcomed with open arms. I saw my first drag show the summer before I left for college. One of the performers was touching up her makeup in the ladies room mirror as I washed my hands. She asked for the time before I realized to whom I was speaking. For a split second I thought, “Oh.” But only a split second, then I smiled, gave her the time, and got jealous of her wig. MALA MALA is a wonderful teaching tool. It’s an important film. Expose, accept, and move on with your life. We’ll all be happier in this world when we do.
VERDICT: See It
Directed by: Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini Starring: Samantha Close, Ivana Fred, Denise Rivera, Soraya Santiago Solla, Alberic Prados, April Carrion, Queen Bee Ho, Sophia Voines, Paxx Moll Language: English, Spanish (with English subtitles) For Tribeca Tickets and more information: TICKETS
BOTTOM LINE: You’ll learn a lot that you didn't know. You’ll see behind the mask and get to know an incredibly vulnerable group of people that you might not have otherwise sought out in e