SOUL OF THE DESERT

A visually stunning documentary that won the Queer Lion award in Venice.

The vast deserts of La Guajira in northern Colombia. An old woman appears and goes about her business. We meet Georgina Epiayu, who seems to have a clear goal in mind. She wants to finally have her identity officially recognized by the authorities. Georgina lives in the desert, almost alone, but there are a few other Wayuu women in the neighborhood. She lost contact with her brothers long ago. Old wounds have not healed. A poetic and hopeful film. But also highly political since it is about her own rights as a trans person who is part of one of the most oppressed indigenous groups in South America.

Filmmaker Mónica Taboada-Tapia studied anthropology and film and television production. For this documentary, the director accompanied her protagonist for eight years and created a very intimate portrait.