On the morning of the sixth day of the International Film Festival in Guadalajara (FICG40), the feature film Una mujer fantástica (2017) directed by Sebastián Lelio and starring Chilean actress Daniela Vega, who was honored with this edition's Maguey Queer Icon Award, was screened.
Una mujer fantástica tells the story of Marina, a trans woman who, after the death of her partner, must face her grief in a world that constantly questions her existence. The film is a story of love and resistance, but also a powerful reaffirmation of identity.
At the end of the screening, an intimate talk full of admiration took place between Daniela Vega and Estrella Araiza, director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG). The actress shared her experience conquering spaces as a trans woman. For her, when talking about trans identities "We are not talking about new things, we are talking about new looks towards an old body, a foundational body".
Being the first trans woman to participate in the Oscar Awards, Daniela Vega considers that the most important thing is the impact that her work can have on the collective thinking about the LGBTQ+ community. Also, she highlighted her interest in representing trans bodies made visible from a new light, with the aim of breaking stereotypes built by cinema. "Putting human emotions at the service of other human beings is what I came here to do," the actress stressed.
Creating a space full of sensitivity and emotions, Vega invited attendees to "mute the silence", to never sacrifice the time of the creative process, as for her it is the only way to ensure the production of conscious things.
The talk left an open invitation to innovate from diversity, showing that when stories are told from the truth they have the power to change the world.