I Am Sofia

Original title: Io sono Sofia (Italy, 2019)

Director: Silvia Luzi

Cast: Sofia Qyvalar Peri

Genre: Documentary

Plot: This is the true story of a woman, Sofia, 28 years old, assigned male at birth. It is the story not only of her transition, but, above all, that of the entire family that, albeit with difficulty, followed and supported her.

Notes: Documentary film focused on the last stages of the transition of a transgender woman and related difficulties regarding the path of gender affirmation. It was presented and broadcast on Italian public TV channel RAI 3, on the fiftieth anniversary (June 28, 1969) of the Stonewall Riots. The riots, named after the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the heart of the West Village in New York, were the first great battle for LGBT community rights.

The Ignorant Fairies

Original title: Le fate ignoranti (Italy, 2001)

Director: Ferzan Özpetek

Cast: Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, Serra Yilmaz

Genre: Drama

Plot: After the untimely loss of her husband, a woman discovers that he had a lover: a man named Michele. She decides to meet him and with him discovers a lively group of friends, though removed from her idea of respectability: gays, lesbians, transgender people. After the initial trauma, she discovers that she likes these new friends and, although too late, she gets to know a side of her late husband that helps her to understand him better.

In a Year with Thirteen Moons

Original title: In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden (Germany, 1978)

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Cast: Volker Spengler, Ingrid Caven, Gottfried John

Genre: Drama

Plot: The title of the film takes its cue from the particular astral condition (years with thirteen moons) that occurs only six times in every century. It is said that this condition can provoke deep emotional crises. Set in 1978, a year with thirteen moons, the film tells the story of the last five days of the life of Elwin Weishaupt, who became Elvira.

Indianara

Original title: Indianara (Brazil, 2019)

Director: Aude Chevalier-Beaumel, Marcelo Barbosa

Cast: Marielle Franco, Indianara Siqueira, Wescla Vasconcelos, Biancka Fernandes

Genre: Documentary

Plot: In Brazil, every year, dozens of transgender persons are victims of murders. Therefore, the community tries to guarantee their rights through politics. But being elected does not always guarantee respect, nor does it protect transgender people from threats, murderers, or transphobia. On the other hand, politics remains one of the most effective ways to ensure visibility and to help others in need. This is what Indianara Siqueira does; she becomes a city councilwoman and, together with Marielle Franco, she is recognized as one of the most prominent activist figures in Brazil, an important reference for the queer community in Rio de Janeiro. The documentary depicts, through the portrait of Indianara, a significant period between the Interim of Michael Temer and the coming to power of Jair Bolsonaro. She is the founder of Casa Nem, a shelter for transgender people.