Canela

“I began the journey of making my first documentary six years ago: it was a naive start. I came from fiction, from closed scripts, from the canonical structure and the somewhat deceiving relief that preconceived notions give you.

The ups and downs of the genre, such as knowing how to find the necessary time for the main character to reveal themself and thus develop in the story; to be permeable to genuine moments creating the right circumstances for situations to emerge; to think about how to plot those moments; to subdue oneself to the availability of the protagonist within the framework of his life; to deal with the complexity of working with floating technical teams: everything was much more arduous than expected.

In that long creative process that involved going through artistic spaces, my encounters with other perspectives allowed me to raise awareness of my narrative. There, I received the most beautiful compliment when a teacher told me she was moved by the love of my gaze towards the protagonist. At that moment I understood that the fascination had turned into friendship and that I was filming a beloved woman. A trans woman, a woman with fears, with worries, but above all with questions about feeling like a woman. Nothing was foreign to me, in one way or another I had felt similar things. We both accompany each other on our journeys. She answered questions through unexpected encounters that became a beautiful story; and me completing the crazy, long, and strange project of making this film. This documentary, which I adore as much as its protagonist, is an experience that has profoundly transformed me as a filmmaker and also as a person.”

– Cecilia del Valle, Director