06 · 23 · 23 Beyond the Closet: Five Sapphic Protagonists Share with twitter Share with facebook Share with mail Copy to clipboard Andrea Cabrera Rodríguez Andrea Cabrera "The stories of diversity are changing; they are no longer just about coming out or about AIDS. Stories about trans life and diversity trends are beginning to set a very different point of view." Amelia Eloisa, for IMCINE. Little by little, sapphic existences -woman or woman-aligned person of any sexual orientation who is attracted to other women- are entering the big screen. In contemporary Mexican cinema, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, etc. women have starred in narratives that, far from exoticizing, punishing and erasing their sexuality, turn it into another feature of the character, which is important for the destigmatization of the LGBTTTIQA+ collective and their dignified representation in cinema. Some of these narratives can be found in the following five films: Nunca seremos parte (2022) Amelia Eloisa's debut feature film stars Emi (Adriana Palafox), a teenager who, in search of a change, meets the daughter of her father's girlfriend: Gala, a girl who makes her doubt her sexuality. Thanks to this chapter in her life, Emi empathizes with her mother, who began a sex-affective relationship with a woman. The film was part of the competition of the 27th edition of the Festival Mix: Cine y diversidad sexual, and this Saturday, June 24, will have a screening at the Cinematógrafo del Chopo at 6:30 pm. Huesera (2022) The acclaimed horror film nominated for the Premios Ariel 2023, Michelle Garza Cervera's debut feature, tells the story of Valeria (Natalia Solián) as she questions motherhood. Younger, she used to have green hair, piercings, a great passion for punk and a sex-affective relationship with Octavia. Now she is married to Raul and they manage to get pregnant after several attempts, but Valeria doesn't know if it is what she really wanted, especially when she begins to see an entity that threatens her and her baby. Huesera is available on Amazon Prime Video. Efímera (2021) Emilia (Danae Reynaud) is the protagonist of Luis Mariano García's debut film, Efímera, a story about death, love and learning to live in the present. Shortly after finishing high school, Emilia prepares to enter the university she has always wanted; however, she meets Renata, with whom she falls in love and, as if that were not enough, she realizes that she has the ability to see people who are about to die. The film had a special screening at the 20th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), presented by the Festival Mix: Cine y diversidad sexual. Mi novia es la revolución (2021) This feature film directed by Marcelino Islas Hernández is a coming-of-age set in 1994, México. Its protagonist, Sofía (Sofía Islas Herrerías) meets Eva (Ana Valeria Becerril), a girl quite different from the boring and monotonous place she has just moved to, who helps her get out of her comfort zone. By her side, she learns to love and mature. Los días más oscuros de nosotras (2017) Ana (Sophie Alexander-Katz), the protagonist of Astrid Rondero's debut film, is an architect who returns to Tijuana, her hometown, which she abandoned to forget the memories of her sister's death that haunt her. She returns for work and meets Silvia, who wants to buy his childhood home. Thanks to Silvia's perseverance, they get to know each other better and develop a closer relationship.
