Nos corps sont vos champs de bataille (2021) - full transcript

Gabriel David Marino is hereby charged
with the murder of Amancay Diana Sacayán

in full knowledge of his actions,
with intent to kill brutally,

and with particular hatred
of her gender identity

and particularly
her condition as a transvestite,

exercising gender violence.

The crime occurred at the home
of the victim on Avenida Rivadavia

here in the City of Buenos Aires.

Death was caused
by multiple knife wounds

and internal and external bleeding,
with a total of 27 wounds,

13 of which were caused
by the type of weapon mentioned.

The victim tried to defend herself



but was attacked with great violence
which caused her death.

#NotOneWomanLess
END TRANSVESTICIDE

Toby! Toby, come here!

Come on. Run!

I told her best
to put the leash on.

Oh my poor Bruno,
I don't want him knocked over.

Come on!

Come on, Toby.

Come on!

Run!

Come on. Quiet.

My love!

- They had a nice run.
- Right?

They're saying goodbye to the sea.



Right, love?

Easy...

- Morena's so quiet, mum.
- Yes, Morena's quiet.

Like me!

Like her mother!

"I'm your son, even though
you have favourites", tell her.

"She's my mum".

"Ah, yes.
But Grannie loves me more".

Doesn't she?

Poor doggy.
He doesn't know what we're saying.

He doesn't know a thing.

- Little doggy...
- Ah, Morenita...

- Love, love.
- Love, love.

Oh, love.

Please.

Are you going
to torture me all the way?

Yes.

Fine, sing then.

- What do you want me to sing?
- No idea.

Ave María...

But we can remix it.

Yes, don't talk about Catholicism,
I'll come out in a rash.

Santa Travestissima!

Blessed are you
among all the trans.

The cactus is good,
I like the cactus!

Look at this old camera!

Which one?
It's from the old days.

It's a relic, but it works.

- Is this from your day, Clau?
- Yes, of course.

Cheeky! It's from my
great-grandmother's time.

This is really nice,
I'm so happy.

A house, a car... a guy?

Well, I don't know
if you need a guy.

Oh honey, that body...
Arousing all the passions!

She's a Barbie,
the Peruvian Barbie.

Look at us here. With Gastón.

Let's see...

Yes, look at this photo.

Iconic!

This is when you lived
in the apartment on...

Right, I was a hairdresser then.

I got here in 2000.

In 2001, Argentina went
down the toilet! The crash.

I said "I'm not leaving, I'm staying".
And I fought it out.

I rode a bike, and I was
giving haircuts for three pesos.

Claudia was as she is now,
looking divine,

with makeup, all dressed up.

She went to university like that,
so daring, back then.

Bikers would beat you
in the street, remember?

What was your first day
at university like?

I want to tell that story.

I remember that day
she told her mum:

"If I leave it's because I failed,
and if I stay it's because I triumphed".

So it was,
she did the whole course.

Now, she's a graduate,
almost a PhD.

I had a whole strategy.

This is how I handle things.

I never said "Please, teacher".

Never looking for pity.
Never playing the victim.

Not when times were tough,
and much less now.

I remember I'd go up
to the lecturer and say:

"If it bothers you to call me Claudia,
call me by my surname".

I didn't give them a choice,
it was one or the other.

If you don't like it
you can quit!

I was thinking the other day,
when talking to Toni,

about how we grew together

with Claudia Vasquez Haro,
the great orator.

Now our discourse is tremendous!

What is a person's
gender identity?

I think we talked about that.

Exactly, the way they feel.

If I ask her
"Hi, how's it going?"

"How do you feel
about your gender?"

"I'm a woman."

Her gender identity
is as a woman.

If anyone asks me,
I'm a transvestite.

I identify as a transvestite.

If we ask this gentleman,
he'll say "I'm a man".

That's a person's gender identity.

Now you, as a woman,
I can ask you:

Who do you feel
sexually attracted to?

"To other women".
Does she cease to be a woman then?

No.

So there we see the difference,

between sexual orientation
and her gender identity,

which is as a woman.

Because my identity is trans
but my sexual orientation might be...

I could even be a lesbian.

The two things
are totally different.

- It's a lot to take in, right?
- Oh, yes!

Some of you are probably thinking,
"This world's gone to hell!"

A man is a man
and a woman is a woman.

Just because you choose
to live differently, well...

I mean,
that's up to each person.

But that's
the church's discourse.

- A man and a woman were created.
- No, a man and a woman were not created.

Yes, a man and a woman were created,
and then each one decides.

But I'm not questioning that.

If we pay attention to this talk,

what I'm saying is that the genitals
that a person is born with

doesn't determine their identity.

I suggest a deconstruction.

So you can think about it.
Even with things such as:

"No, I'm not convinced about that.
I was born a man..."

The most important thing
is that you start to recognize

all of you,
what rules you're following.

Often, out of ignorance,
or because we have no information,

or because we think
we're "normal",

we discriminate,
we're violent towards other people.

I think these issues help us rethink
our place in these relationships

and how we relate.

So we can be more loving
in children's upbringing,

with more freedoms,

so we can even…
be free ourselves.

OK?

That's what I'm most interested in
with this kind of training.

Also recognizing your own
situations of violence.

Think about how much of what we are
comes from our own decisions,

our own wishes, or because
it has been imposed on us.

And I can assure you that
if we think about this

most things have been
imposed on us.

How's it going?

I'm exhausted.

I gave a training course,
here in Grand Bourg.

All good?

Yes...

How was it, was it at the uni?

No, that's the diploma course.

These are the women
in social programs.

It's compulsory for them
to finish the training,

to do a course, so they sign up.

I teach the gender course.
Gender and sexual diversity.

I got angry today.

Sure.

They say really violent things.

We were talking
about children's toys,

one said "If I see my son playing
with a doll, I won't let him."

And that's really violent.

You decided not to play football.

I remember I gave you a ball.

I was a real tomboy.

- It's true.
- I played football.

Yes, badly, but you played.

OK, but I played!

I'm bad at it too.

But we had the freedom to do that,
no one ever beat us up over anything.

That's true.

We were pretty open-minded,
because of our parents.

Yes, exactly.

I never felt like
I was pressured.

They did pressure me.

In what?

I was pressured.

In what?

Society: "Hey, what's up with your
brother?" "Your sister? Your brother?"

Like when you came home
all beaten up.

- I got beaten up.
- You got beaten up.

- I'd forgotten about that.
- We had to look for that rude boy.

Do you remember that day?

I remember...

He pushed me from behind...

- And he dragged you along.
- I skinned all my...

Yeah, it was terrible.

Darío came straight round
and we went looking for him...

You never told me what you did.

There's no need.

It was very macho of us.

But he deserved it!

I don't know if that's
the way to resolve things...

- I know.
- People's reactions...

That's something else, resolving that,
how do you go about that?

How do you explain to that person
why you're hitting them?

Why did he hit you?

He had a reason,
which was totally ridiculous.

But he hit you,
dragged you along, hurt you.

So we did more or less the same.

So you hit him.

A little.

And we told him
not to do it again.

Yeah, I remember.

How old was I? 18, 19?

Yeah, more or less.

Yes.

When bourgeois democracy
returned in 1983,

10% of the population
lived under the poverty line.

By the end of this year
40% will be living in poverty,

and six out of ten children
will be poor.

As a civil society organization

we defend the human rights
of our trans and transvestite comrades

when the State violates them.

What would have happened,
with no information,

without the experience
we've gained over the years,

without our practice?

We would've played the victims
and denounced everything.

As far as the courts are concerned,
our work is impeccable,

in terms of presentation
of habeas corpus

and also in terms of the rulings
in favour of our organization.

As I explained, this is a key year,
it's an election year.

It's a year when
we all have to go out there

not just to take up positions,
but also to debate and defend

the attack from radical feminists

who don't want trans and transvestites
at the Encuentro event.

This Saturday was terrible

when a group of women got up,
looked at us, trans and transvestites,

and said: "The Encuentro event
is for women, not for men."

We know very well that
they're provoking us

because they want us
to start a fight,

and when you start a fight
you lose the political argument.

It's also clear that they bring women
from the neighbourhoods

to confront us and attack us.

It's clear that those women,
who start arguing with us about poverty,

want to use poverty as an excuse
to call us whatever they like.

I said, comrades,
us trans and transvestites are poor too.

So their poverty discourse
is no use.

We live where they live.
We have the same needs as them

and we're poor too,
and we're migrants too,

and we're indigenous too,
and we too deserve a decent life.

And they can't brush us aside
with the discourse of violence

because they always
use that discourse.

When I called them
"textbook feminists"

they were really offended!

But they didn't blink
when that comrade got up and said

the Encuentro was for women
and not for men,

speaking of trans comrades.
Can you imagine?

When you started to talk,
and no one listened, I clapped.

Yes.

And when I clapped
everybody clapped.

Right! That's the thing!

And how did they look at you?

Like a strange creature.

We're the heads of Otrans.
We're always...

These 12 people who are here

and maybe a few others
who are absent,

have to be there
from beginning to end.

Also non-binary genders,
like Toni.

Toni's struggle is further behind

because his movement just appeared,
his non-binary identity.

We have to embrace those struggles
as trans and transvestites,

we have to support them,

we're already institutionalized,
there's even a gender identity law.

Most of us know there's a big difference
between sex and gender, it's not the same.

So that would be major progress.

We can argue all day
about institutionality

but having a law is better
than not having one.

And gradually we can change it.

Hi, can I give you a flyer?

Thank you very much.

Tie it up,
it has to be tied up there.

FLORENCIA SAINTOUT
CITIZENS UNITED

- We should put this here.
- The other side.

Thank you.

Hi, can I give you
a flyer about Florencia?

The president is worried about
how I'll get on with the press,

but I've taken care of that
throughout the campaign.

Now the candidates will have
another 30 second round.

So boring.

Still on the same subject.

You can expand on the subjects
and interact if necessary.

The security forces,
police, army, city police,

took part in the genocide
during the last dictatorship.

Some candidates here negate the historic
struggle of human rights organizations,

and of the people, to bring to justice
those responsible for genocide.

Some candidates will ask for
a firm hand, more prisons.

We want more schools, more jobs.

The neoliberal political model
of the security forces

is to repress the people
when they protest.

And they transform
the legal system

into a revolving door
where the criminals never stay.

He's a psychopath, look at him.
Check his eyes.

- He blames everyone but did nothing...
- He's a psychopath.

And we reduced
power cuts by 40%.

No! Bullshit!

Fernández wants
to reform the agreements

to remove workers' right.

His hair looks better.

This boy's got trouble
with his hair.

He should just shave it all off.

The left proposes a solution
from the bottom up.

Without the beard and the hair
he'd look 15.

Yeah, he's cute.

Would you do him?

I'm just asking, Violeta!

I don't know Lara.
I'd have to think about it.

What about Fernández,
would you do him?

No, with none of them...

With none of these political parties,
with none of that.

I'm talking about sex.

Well, sexuality is political too.

Employment quota for trans people...

Employment quota for trans people!
Unbelievable!

The only one!
Very convenient, but hey.

I knew one of them had to say it
Fernández or Del Caño.

But it got in, they said it
in a presidential debate.

I don't believe it.

All the same, this is boring.

They're violent, aggressive,
they want to destroy each other.

They're men, sexist,
what can you do?

They have so much hatred.

It's not hatred, it's showing
who's got the biggest one.

Presidents here are defined by
who's the most macho.

Can you imagine a party of
women, trans, gays...

non-binaries?

Yeah.

What would happen,
with a party like that?

Got it!

Good! Come on!

Pass it. Easy.

Go on!

Go on!

Good, good!

Vicky's serve.

Come on, Vicky.

Get a point!

Rematch!

I'll sit with Ruby and Claudia.

I'll put Claudia here.

Put me there.

In the last 12 months,
how many times have you seen a doctor?

Claudia, how can I answer that?

In the last 12 months
how many times have you been?

No, I'm asking how many times
she's seen a doctor.

But she hasn't because
she was in prison.

You couldn't go.

But say how many times you went,
it doesn't matter...

I'm in the next one? OK!

Have you been in the last
12 months or not?

- No, not yet.
- You haven't been.

Yes, Hospital Rossi.

- When? Recently?
- Yes.

So that was your first visit.

One.

Hello!

Hello!

Hello, darling.

It's a bit hot for mate tea,
isn't it?

- Will you have some?
- Yeah.

Hi, girls, my name is Violeta.

I'm an anthropology student
and activist.

I've been doing research
for several years

into our own
affective-sexual relationships.

Because I was interested in
the subject of how men relate to us

what other kinds of
relationships we form,

because not everyone has
relationships with just men.

This idea that it's mostly us
who are freaks in this society.

The objectification by men.

- Have any of you ever fallen in love?
- All of us!

When I was in a relationship
for the first time

the man said "hold my hand"
and I was terrified.

I was scared and he was sure
of what he felt.

I was wondering
"Hold hands, really?"

Putting myself in this place
of not deserving it, you know?

We're working women and
we know what we do to make money.

I think the subject of falling in love
in some part doesn't exist.

Maybe before, but to say now
that I can fall in love with a guy?

It would be too risky.

If you like to get hurt,
you'll get hurt by yourself.

Being trans is tough, you have to go
through a lot of ugly, horrible things,

finding a loving relationship
for the first time

is like clinging on
to that person.

And you generally fall in love
with an older guy.

A little older than you.

And then that guy starts
to manipulate your mind.

Because he's a man who's lived,
he knows what he's doing,

and he knows how to handle himself
with someone...

He thinks "This one has never had
a boyfriend, let's take her."

And that's when the relationship
begins to grow

through the man's manipulation,
you know?

And it's nasty.

Sure.

You go from
having your parents' love

to having nothing and being alone

and if a man
shows you a little care,

the affection you need,
you hold on to that,

you want it more.

And then you ask him
why did you choose me?

As I don't have the looks.

As I'm fat and
the other one's perfect?

Why not a vagina?

When there are so many possibilities
you start to feel inferior...

I met this guy,

it was his first time,
so he said, now I doubt it all.

But he said
it was his first time.

And I was embarrassed
about my body,

I didn't want him to see this,
and this...

Acting like I had a vagina.

So I was afraid
"What's going to happen?"

When that moment comes,
your insecurity about your body...

But then you pass that barrier,

and you know that sometimes
people look for those differences.

But what's up with that?
With the body issue?

Tell the truth,
who accepted themselves at first?

- I did!
- Everyone!

I always accepted myself.

Exactly! I love myself...

When I was 17 I had an experience
with another girl, and...

I've had affective-sex with
trans girls and trans people.

And at work

I'm only with men
but that's just for work.

I'm only with men for sex work,
that's the only time I'm with men.

Outside work, in my personal life,
I wouldn't choose to be with a cis male.

I don't want to.

Have you ever fallen in love with
a person the same gender as you?

Yes, sure.

Did you feel
that specific attraction?

Yes, it's much better.

It's tastier, dirtier.

I'm done with men.

There are other bodies,
so I go for that kind.

In dissident corporalities,
not in men.

Just put a little on.
Not too much foundation.

How do I get down?

What are you going to cook?

Cottage pie.

Ah, save me a plate.

Cottage pie, eh?

Hello?

Coming.

I'll be right there, girls.
I left the oven on.

But come back later!

I'll be back!

What time?
When will you be back?

- Can you call an Uber?
- I haven't got the app.

Which one shall we put up?

If there's one about violence...

- Yes.
- Great.

There should be.

STOP KILLING ANIMALS

- What's up?
- The ladder.

SLAUGHTERHOUSES ARE THE ONLY TRUTH

IMF

HUNGER

OUT!

We can do those over there, too.

WITH YOUR VOTE WE CAN DO MORE

"Pleasure: Sex work
is not exploitation."

What do you think of that?

Can you tell me what you think?

Sex work isn't exploitation,
they're two different things.

The abolitionist discourse
mixes up exploitation and sex work.

What I can say
from the abolitionist side...

Who were the first ones
to prostitute themselves?

I don't mean now,
I mean thousands of years ago.

Who were the first? Women.

Yeah, I don't agree with
the abolitionists' discourse right now.

I don't agree because...
They're really moralistic with sexuality.

And then, I don't know...

I'm not reglamentarist,
but I'm not abolitionist either.

I think what we should really do is try
to find a dialogue between the two.

Yes.

And find something
that connects us

against the same people,
because we have the same enemies.

- Clearly.
- Yeah, that's true.

There's such virulence that
you can't dialogue...

You see it in feminism,
this is historic.

And it's really ugly
that we can't have debates.

Besides, in that sense,
I was never a prostitute.

But it's an issue
I can understand,

I can think about it
from my side but I never did it.

97% of women who work as prostitutes
do it out of economic need.

It's not a free decision.

But this is a capitalist system,

everything is an economic choice.

But it's not the same to go out
and sell food, to work in McDonalds

as getting on all fours
and being raped all day.

It's still exploitation,

as we're living in a capitalist system
it's always exploitation.

It's not a great job either

to be cleaning a toilet
for middle-class people.

It's no comparison.

I won't accept this system
that does that.

Like I won't accept the system
that oppresses animals.

So if I don't accept that system,
I don't accept any of what it represents.

In some ways yes,
in some ways no.

I think it's strange
to choose prostitution.

We can't compare

a girl who works in her apartment,
who chooses her clients,

with a girl who has to stand
by the road every night,

or in the Constitución area,

and then ends up selling drugs,
because her pimp tells her to do so,

or forces her to be online...

The more vulnerability,
the more abuse.

Totally, 100%.

- Are you ready?
- Yes.

- Shall I get your little dress?
- Yes.

You're changing your dress?
Like it's your fifteenth birthday!

Juana should be there tonight,
she got out yesterday.

- Right?
- Sure.

You have to enjoy your freedom,
that's the main thing.

There won't be another shot.

We got away with it today,
you got off lightly.

Because these cops press charges,
they cause trouble.

But like I said yesterday,
I'm going to study and work.

Yes, enough of the street.

You know it's hard,
but you have to study, girl.

That's essential.

You're young, you're 21...
22, it was your birthday yesterday.

But you're still young.

And you know
the street has no prospects.

It just ends up ruining your life.
Your quality of life gets worse.

And you'll most likely
end up in a coffin.

I don't want to pry in your things,

but I heard your sister
asking you for $100.

What are you? A bank?

Does she know
how you make that $100?

With the risk of going to jail
and a load of other stuff?

I told you, you have
to put yourself first.

When you're doing well,

when you've got
all you ever dreamed of,

all you ever wanted,
then you can help others.

Until then,
you put yourself first.

That's the way it is.

Is Lauriana in jail?

Yeah, she is now.

Poor thing. How long?

She was arrested last year.
I got caught with her.

They were watching us from a corner.
Monitoring us.

They asked me: "First time?"
"No, second time" I said.

I was like this...

Playing it cool.

- Trying to be smart?
- Yes.

I mean, it's like...

As if you step into
your second home.

And you're there for a while!

But what did you think?

"I'm never getting out of here"
Right?

Yeah.

That old bastard said
"I'm going to take you down".

- He had it in for you.
- Yeah.

He said "Any day, I'll do you."

Cream for dry skin.

This unforgettable evening!

Always with the best music,
we've got salsa, cumbia, merengue.

We've got a huge repertoire!

DJ can you put on some music

to celebrate
the queen of the night?

Yadira is another year older today.

Celebrating with all her friends

this unforgettable night.

Legal abortion, in the hospital!

You thought we were
cooking and ironing your shirts!

Woman, listen,
join the struggle!

Good afternoon everyone,
my name is Claudia Vasquez Haro.

I'm a trans woman and a migrant,
born in Peru,

but I've lived
in La Plata for 20 years.

I'm here with Marlene Wayar,
an activist,

a survivor in our collective.

Not everyone knows
so I think it's a good moment

to tell our sisters about
this Latin America,

colored, mixed,
indigenous, "sudaca"...

We transvestites have a lot in common
with all of you.

History has made us invisible,
but not just that.

It has persecuted us,
it's murdered us.

It's humiliated us.

And although a long time has passed

since we started to organize
ourselves as a collective

at least in Argentina,
since the 1990s,

we're a very young collective,
compared to others.

The struggles of our first comrades,
like Diana, Lohana,

who are no longer with us in the flesh,
but who are here in this place...

They were the first trans and
transvestites to attend the Encuentros

when we'd often be
kicked out of these Encuentros.

Here in La Plata,

I want to tell comrades from
other countries and provinces,

since Macri became
president in 2015,

this city has been a laboratory
for arbitrary detentions

cruel and inhumane treatment, torture
and death of trans and transvestites.

In 2017 alone, four comrades under 30
died in police custody.

Our justice system is blind to us.

It looks the other way.

But those who kill us,
who commit transvesticides,

still receive moderate sentences.

While we keep fighting
and campaigning for our comrades,

who have various vulnerabilities,

being transvestites, migrants, poor...

Who have chronic diseases,

as a result of a lack
of public policies

and because of this society
that won't acknowledge our existence.

We have tasted defeat
but we have also tasted victory.

So thank you comrades for coming,
for being here with us,

for continuing to fight,
because we will no longer stay silent.

Against the patriarchy,
against hetero-normativity,

against sexism, capitalism,

and anything that suffocates
our identities.

Those of you who attend
every act of rebellion,

in every one of our territories,

in defense of education,
for the right to abortion,

for no more trigger-happy cops.

You know we stand face to face,
fighting in each of our struggles,

and that every blow from the State
hurts us and affects us all.

So we also want to ask you,

we want you to put us on
your emotional agendas,

so you mourn our deaths

and take this country to trial
over this genocide,

and recognize that we're made complicit,
in every genocide they commit.

Every one of you
has an immense power.

It has to be based
within the community,

it has to tell this country

to recognize us, to embrace us,
to let us live.

- Lohana Berkins.
- Present!

- Nadia Echazu.
- Present!

- Cynthia Moreira.
- Present!

- Pamela Cabares.
- Present!

- Marcela Chocobar.
- Present!

- Now...
- And forever!

Let the comrades in.

The press is arriving.

Fighting for our comrade,
you like it, and you like it!

And now we're together!

And now they'll see us!

Down with the patriarchy,
it's gonna fall!

Up with feminism,
it shall overcome!

How are you enjoying it?

And where are we this weekend?
Making history.

It's the 34th pluri-national Encuentro

of women, lesbians,
transvestites, transsexuals,

bisexuals and non-binary genders.

Yes! History!

Specifically, my longest experience,
the most productive,

the one I embrace the most
is prostitution,

and what I have learned from
my friends in prostitution.

I'm part of a community

with a life expectancy in Argentina
of 32, and I'm 50.

I'm clearly a survivor

and that's where I speak from.

I often say
I have a cemetery in my head.

That's not a sensationalist statement.

I do have a cemetery of friends
and acquaintances in my head.

We're going to try to connect

with the girl, the boy

to see what you can find
of the trans experience

in your childhood.
All that was crushed.

"I can't compare one experience
with another",

says a wonderful lesbian journalist
whose name I can never remember.

I remember very few names,
she's American.

They asked her which one's the woman
and which one's the man...

Let's stop thinking in these terms!

It's like asking chopsticks
who's the fork and who's the knife.

A different logic.

So this implies a movement for you.
Reaching crisis point.

So does everyone
have the two pieces?

All the people present here...

There are people left outside,
so much love!

What a fertile land
this institute is!

Otherness has been suggested
to us as a paradigm.

The woman is radically the other.

Men, among their peers,
say that the "other" is the woman.

And this is a
non-reciprocal relationship.

The woman can't call him the "other"
he's just the man.

He's the centre,
the reason, everything.

And that other is constructed
based on two basic anxieties.

Fear of loss and fear of attack.

Fear of losing what I have,

what could be stolen from me,
how I could be challenged.

But I'm not a bad man!

But what are you saying,
suddenly I'm a macho?

Yes. Move away
from your privileges!

Shut up and make room!

You have nothing to lose!

No one will take away
your rosette of being the best.

You've definitely won it.

It isn't in question,
but the space needs oxygen.

Who's going to put words
into their little monster?

I can see you're desperate to...
Here, please.

I'm very nervous to be here.

I'm from Colombia, from Medellín,

I've been in Argentina one month,
I'm leaving in four days,

here is my monster.

My monster is a person
who wants to be free,

who's tired of the violations
that happened,

growing up in a country in conflict.

He's taking account of
some complex situations

since I understood that I was raped
several times when I was kid,

in many different ways,
and finally I can talk about that.

It's still very complex,
very hard to understand,

a lot of those people
were paramilitaries, guerrillas,

who were annihilating
diversity in my country.

There are those of us
who want to raise our voices.

I'm so happy to find so many people
who are talking about this...

I feel so supported.

Thank you.

Return to the embrace.

We are sustained by our arms,
they give, they flow.

Construct concretely spaces,
looking at each other in the eye,

recognizing ourselves,
getting to work in many ways,

giving ourselves the chance

of a public intimacy
that can be constructed.

This is the "us-ness".

We end these meetings by calling them
"Pluri-national Encuentros"!

We'll always keep that name.

We transvestites are grateful to
women for embracing our cause.

- Grateful!
- I thank you!

You get me?

Yes.

Here at the entrance.

Come on then,
we have to push here,

we have to form a group to push
and get in there. OK?

Tell Mati to put on makeup
this is a women's gathering.

Honey, this is a women's gathering.

Put on some paint.

Put on makeup!

But you were supposed
to make me up.

Is that OK? Or more?

Look at that face!

A poor trans who can't even
afford a razor.

At least, I've lost weight.

You have to prostitute yourself, honey.

But all the street corners
are already busy!

And there's all these guys
who beat up gays...

Well, stop being gay.

I can stay next to you,
as your daughter.

- Oh, no!
- You can adopt me.

So that people would say
"Who's your daughter's father, the devil?"

The poor trans with no more blusher,
uses lipstick instead.

Clau, listen,
the gate opens inwards,

we have to move further back.

No, there are two gates,
they open one here...

OK, we'll do that.

No, like this...

Exactly!

Open this...

This gate opens this way.

- Right, we'll have to step back.
- Yes.

Yesterday at the debate, Macri...

He has no shame,
have you seen how cynical he is?

I heard Espert said
university should be fee-based.

Yeah, and very pro-life.

- He talked all night.
- Anti-rights, not pro-life.

But also when they talked
about health specifically

they said life begins
when there's an embryo.

That's how they talked about it.

If we don't respect that,
we can't respect the individual.

There are trans girls here!

Trans childhoods free of violence!

- Trans grandmothers too.
- There are trans grandmothers here too!

Trans elderly!

Here we have trans little old ladies.

This is the procession of...

The trans third age!

Watch out!

Girls!

Clau!

Slowly!

Don't touch her!

Don't hit me!

Get up, Clau, get up there!

I won't let you do that,
I didn't touch you.

I'll denounce you.

Help me!

Stop biting me.
What's wrong with you?

Get her down!

She's not feeling well...

Help her!
She's not feeling well!

You know what they said to us?
"You're men" they said.

The police kick the shit out of us trans
but they called us men!

These bitches are doing it again,

they've been doing it to the trans
and transvestite collective for 15 years!

They pass over our bodies again!
Over our identities!

How do you expect me to be?

My feminist comrades,
every day with me,

end up in the street
because of people like you!

Go on, Clau!

Pluri-national! And dissident!

Comrades...

We're seeing a historic moment
here in La Plata!

The Encuentro is Pluri-national!

We will all be defending this space.

Thank you, comrades, thank you.

Very good!

She was trying
to take the mic off me!

They're restless.

You were fighting against everyone
who wanted to stop you.

You broke everything, I love it.

First they wanted
to turn my sound off.

I said "Turn the sound on!"

These are mechanisms
so that no one hears you.

You have no idea Jessica,
I swear that my body...

I feel like I've been beaten up...

But they did beat you up!

No, literally they did.
But also it was like,

I didn't have any strength.

I was crying with anger
and I told Paula Rusconi:

"This will have political consequences,
and you're guilty".

She said no,
and started crying as well.

She said "Let's negotiate!"

I said "Let's get on the stage!
But now, right now".

- "OK, get on."
- "But not alone. With Zule."

We've been exhausting the negotiation
channels for eight months.

- They didn't stick to what we agreed.
- They didn't stick to it, exactly.

- People are so petty.
- But Jessica, that's politics.

- A lot of hunger for power...
- I'm interested in that.

We couldn't take the oppression anymore,
because we have a double discourse.

Outwardly,
they challenge the patriarchy,

but that group of women
uses that principle

to do the same to us.

- Yes.
- Sure.

I believe love overcomes hate,
and they lack love.

Love defeats all bad things.

I'm sure those women pound their chests
in the church and love their children.

There's a lot of hypocrisy.

I don't know if we can
question love from that place.

I question that romantic love.

- I believe in a responsible love.
- A universal love.

A love than goes beyond you,
your little house, your kids,

and the individualism
expressed by everyone.

My mum goes to church
and tells me that they say:

"The man has to wear
the pants at home,

the man has to obey his wife".

The woman has
to obey her husband!

Sorry, yes.

They say that.

But imagine the church,
the patriarchy.

The figure of the man,
the father.

There's always a Pope,
there's no "Mama".

A Mama!

You have to deconstruct
both man and woman.

I believe in God and
in something superior.

I don't question God,
but the church and its hierarchy.

Jessica, what I'm saying

is that you should
stay in the reality

of what it means
to engage physically.

See what happened to Zule,
they threw her to the ground.

Mati had to be there helping her.

Every situation isn't easy,
I've been with you at all the Encuentros.

I know what it is
to be engaged physically.

But that had a result, Jessica.

Now the meeting is no longer called
the Women's Encuentro.

It's called Pluri-national.

When you see that human rights
are the result of social struggles,

you don't beg for rights,
you don't vote for rights.

You create them.

No, you grab them!

The State isn't going to say
"Hey Maxi, do you want a right?"

The State's never going to say that.
It's never going to happen.

All the history of struggles

have been about physical engagement
and confronting.

Yes. And confronting.

Politically.

And for many years.

History is written with blood.
History.

Claudia please stay alive.
We want you alive.

Strategically thinking, Clau.

Always safe steps, everywhere.

We have to look
after you more now.

Why now?
You always have to look after me!

We've always looked after you.

Margarita, tell her.
"I've always looked after you!

I'm your mother."

Today is Mother's Day.

Today is Mother's Day,
my little darling.

I'm going to put some light
around your eye to lift up your look.

Do you see here?

Can you see
there's a little light?

Just a little.

That's it.

Hang on.

I've got the one
my friends gave me.

Now me.
I'm going to be Lara Bertolini 2.

Try not to get it all on your face!

You're doing it wrong!

To receive recognition as an illustrious
visitor to the city of Montevideo,

we have the honour to invite on stage
Dr. Angela Davis.

I may be saying this
fifty years too late.

But I know that some of you,
or your mothers and fathers, or...

grandmothers and grandfathers,
or maybe even your

great-grandmothers and
great-grandfathers...

were active in
the campaign to...

secure my freedom
when I was a political prisoner...

facing the death penalty
so many years ago.

In Europe and the U.S.

democracy has never achieved
its full potential.

In reality,
right and liberties

have been restricted by
race, class and gender.

The hegemonic, um, women's
movement was a white movement.

The hegemonic gay and lesbian movement
was also a white movement.

And when one speaks of gender,
one is primarily referring to white women.

And all of this is
by way way of explaining

why, especially
among the younger generation...

but I entirely agree with them...

that the category 'queer'

is a much more inclusive category

that allows us to articulate

anti-capitalism,
anti-racism

and all of the other things
we've been talking about this evening.

Come on, girls!

Yes, it's the same interpretation
that we've made,

concerning feminism, where the woman
is the only subject of feminism.

When we mention "transvestites"
they don't like it at all.

I was struck by how
they spoke about the collective union

of the whole Black movement.

What about us? The trans movement?
We're banging our heads against the wall.

That really caught my attention,
what about you?

We're united everywhere and we're still
banging our heads against the wall.

We have a lot to learn.

Lara. Ready?

I was really afraid to come.

At first I was traumatized
by everything,

I didn't know how people
were going to react.

When you're used
to being attacked,

you know where
they're going to attack you.

In Buenos Aires we know
which areas not to go to,

what time to be there or not,
what places to go to or not.

And the challenge
of going to another country...

It was a beautiful thing,
traveling is beautiful.

It changes your whole perspective,
all the violence we've suffered.

I can't get used to it.

I'm used to being protected
in my little nest.

How long had it been? 30 years?

- 30 years.
- Where did you go?

That was before I transitioned,
I was 20, 18.

I'm 48 now, so yes, 30 years.

I went to the USA.
To Europe. To Brazil.

- With your family?
- Yes.

Your family is quite well off,
isn't it?

Yes, it was.
It was an upper-middle class family.

Upper class, I'd say.

I said upper-middle...
But it was upper class.

I went horse riding, I had my car,
my apartment.

Bourgeois.

I had a maid who came
to clean every day,

to make lunch and dinner.

I lost all that.

I decided to be who I am,
and suddenly...

But that was with your family...

My adoptive family,
yes, I'm adopted.

The question wasn't
about transitioning,

or losing because of the transition.

The worst thing was to confront
the police and the repressive system.

When they persecute you...

You can lose everything.
Who doesn't?

But when you see that the State
can persecute you, that's worse.

You don't imagine that.

That's when the reality
of being trans hits you.

But did you leave home or
did they kick you out?

There was
a really nasty situation.

When they found out they just
never spoke to me again.

I slept in the street for a while,
3 months.

After a while they realized
they had been mean.

They gave me my apartment. But...

Being a trans with an apartment,
what can you do? Nothing.

People always say
"Yeah, you're forced into prostitution".

Even with my education,
thinking it over,

I thought, what's the lesser evil
I can do to society?

Steal? You could kill someone.

Fraud? That's a crime.
That's serious crime.

So I thought, fine,
I'll be a prostitute.

It's a crime that harms us
but not the consumer.

- It was.
- It was.

This was back then.
So I decided...

As a job, I had to frame it
like that, with my education.

I set my times,
the way and the days I worked.

I organized it so I could
do that job and make a living.

I started when I was 20, 22.

And when I realized that
I couldn't be in the street anymore

because there were young trans girls,
of 17, 16, 15... or less

that's when I thought
of being a dressmaker.

This mate tea's strong, right?

It's strong.

So then I worked as a dressmaker
for 12 years.

Then I negotiated an opportunity
to work in the judiciary.

It was a whole learning curve.

I'll never deny
what the street taught me.

The street gave me that empowerment,
like you said.

The street gives you a place, honey.

What shall I wear to travel?
The usual.

We don't have a closet,
unlike gays.

For trans people, the day they put on
heels and hit the street,

there's no closet.

The body for us
is a tool in the struggle.

I think the body,
using your body,

and going over the barrier,

to change the name
(of the Encuentro),

is the tool in the struggle

that we transvestites
and trans people have.

We can't hide ourselves away
during the day.

It's impossible to disassociate
our identity and our bodies.

OK, done, thank you!

That was torture!

- We left the hard bit for the end.
- Did it look good?

Yes, gorgeous, very good.

Easy, easy.

Easy! Get down.

- Do you want mate tea?
- Yes.

I'm exhausted.

Well, have some mate and...

I came here to vote
and I told you.

Every time I come to Grand Bourg
I let you know. So we can meet up.

Since you're an important person to me,
I didn't sleep...

That's fine.

...to talk and drink
some mate with you.

If I'm lucky.

The other day, my dad...
He's a character.

He said to me...
He's such a fascist.

I saw him for the first time
in 3 years.

We met up,
and he burst into tears.

He's got a lot older.

Of course, it's been 2 or 3 years
since I saw him.

Because of grudges,
you know the story.

There are things that
I can't talk to him about,

there's no point.

And another thing,
he doesn't call me Violeta.

He doesn't call me Violeta,
he uses my previous name.

And I don't think it's because...

Besides I went with
my tits up to here...

- Hi, Dad!
- Bursting out.

It must cause him
contradictions, not me.

He doesn't know who I am. I do.

That's the problem.

Maybe he wasn't completely
involved in the process.

Exactly.

That's an issue.

I know.

How long have I known you?

Year 2000, everything started...

In 2000, 19 years ago.

Year 2000, 19 years.

I was a firefighter.

I know.

- I started calling you on the phone.
- You called the fire service.

- It was free.
- Right.

- It was the fire service's number.
- There was authority on the other end.

"Look, this is an emergency line."

"I'll give you my number."

Well, you were playing it hard.

I was 20 and this sweet thing
was calling me,

I had to make the most of it.

Then you said "I'm not a girl."

You asked "Are you a lesbian?"

I said "I have something to tell you."

"Are you a lesbian?"
you asked me.

Well, I knew
it was something like that.

"No" I said.

"Are you a lesbian?"

My hair's falling out.

That happens when you're 40.

- I'm not 40 for three days!
- Already there.

Are you coming to my party?

Yeah.

I've been moaning
to get Friday off.

Since you told me
the 30th was your birthday.

All my exes are coming.

I remember saying to you
"I look divine, right?"

"Mmm" you said.

And then one time you told me...

What?

You weren't saying it
because I was egocentric.

Yes.

And that if you said it,
that I was pretty...

But I said
"I need to hear it from you."

Idiot!

Exactly!

But going back to what I said.

People say "I like honesty"
and then they don't want to know.

Come on...

OK, but there's a big difference
between being honest and being mean.

Hi, beautiful Viole,
happy birthday!

The best years of your life!

All the best. I can't come tonight,
I'm sorry.

So just letting you know.

I admire you,
I admire you so much, Violeta Alegre!

Where's the toilet?

Down there, on your left.

- This is your house, right?
- No.

We resisted in the 90s...

We returned in 2003!

With Néstor and Cristina,

and the glorious Peronist Youth,
Perón, Perón!

Margarita, get ready to jump.

Kick up a fuss.

- Sing.
- Shout.

I'll take it easy
because I'm in heels.

Come this side.

It's good, isn't it?
So many people.

Today Alberto is president
of all Argentines.

Alberto President!
Alberto President!

We must build a moral
and ethical contract

for the country
with all Argentines.

And today,

conscious of what we are,
of the trust you have placed in us,

we're going to do all that it takes.

And not just Cristina and Alberto.

All of us will do it!
As we've always done!

Thank you for your trust!

Enjoy! Enjoy!

The government is in
the people's hands again.

The government
is in the Argentines' hands.

The government
is in the Argentines' hands.

Thanks you for everything,
thank you for your support.

I embrace you all. Thank you!

That was the brand new president
of Argentina,

Alberto Fernandez,
who defeated Mauricio Macri tonight.

I just feel sad for Florencia.

But I'm happy because
we won as a nation.

It would have been
complete happiness.

Mum, are you happy?

We won, mum!

PICTURES AND CARNIVALS
Archive of Trans Memory.

Thank you for coming
and supporting this.

This is culture.

The trans community
is part of national culture.

We have to fight
for our rights, always.

And come together, whatever the party,
in the things we share.

In what we have in common.

There should be union, girls.

Thank you everyone for coming.

We're going to call onto the stage
Miss Violeta Alegre.

Violeta, wow!

Come on!

I'm here as a kind of infiltrator
because I'm visiting Córdoba.

I'm from Buenos Aires, and I come
across this beautiful surprise.

I'd like to thank you very much,

and say that we're obviously
part of this society,

but we still don't have
equal rights,

and we need them to hear us

and build with us.

That's a necessity.

Sometimes they treat us like
"There's the diversity."

No. Include us. Listen.

We too can construct
public policies.

Because we know the specific needs
of our collective.

So don't show us,
but build with us.

That's all.

That's a beautiful word: Build, build!
Always looking forward.

Really pleased to meet you.

It's wonderful, I can't believe it,
you're an anthropologist.

- That's the way to go.
- That's the way.

We have to empower
instead of letting others talk for us.

Absolutely. That's it.

I find it hard to follow my degree,
I've just started.

I really want to be a scientist.

I'm going for it,

but the reality in the street means
I don't have time to study

because I have to think about
what I'm going to eat,

and all the prices are going up.

With my comrades...
We stick together, we start cooking,

I do things to get by
and not sex work specifically

as the only form of work.

And it takes up a lot of time
so I don't even read Malinowski, nothing.

It's still a place where
knowledge is produced,

and I think true knowledge
is inside us,

in sub-alternized identities,
they're in all of us.

That's why they write
theses about us.

It's legitimized
in the university, but no...

We start that discussion

because when we take
those places and fight,

we open the way for others.

We have to be conscious of that.

It's so important.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.