Herman@s (Les Adelphes)
Mexico, October 2011. A mysterious dream gives birth to Cuco, a transgender latex pirate activist. A manifesto is written, and a first appearance occurs in a French queer club. But Cuco is not just a night owl. In confronting transphobia and the current state of emergency, they join forces with other lives left behind. This essayistic film follows their quest to create more recognition for the queer community. The collective struggle takes the form of an unrestrained, shamanic black-and-white dance that crosses countries and continents.
“Released ten years after Cuco’s birth, Hélène Alix Mourrier’s oneiric documentary offers a rare and arresting insight into their way of being. Poetically narrated by “transgender, trans-species and transbird” Cuco Cuca themself, the film broadens the usual definition of the trans* identity to one that does away with notions of the corporeal body altogether. Juxtaposing images of solitary and collective resistance—in queer clubs, public protests, and through street art—this monochrome portrait of Cuco pays tribute to the queer activism they embody and the struggles that transgender people share with other marginalised groups.” — Diego Armando Aparicio
This film was chosen by Diego Armando Aparicio who is the founder and artistic director of Queer Wave, the Cyprus LGBTQIA+ film festival. Since 2019, he is part of the selection committee of Giornate degli Autori at the Venice International Film Festival. Diego graduated with a physics degree from Imperial College London. He is a member of the European Film Academy.
The Brazilian trans woman Gisberta lived as an immigrant in Portugal. After she was brutally murdered, she became an icon for the transgender rights cause.