After surviving a near-fatal assault, an 18-year-old, indigenous trans woman escaped Oaxaca. Over the next 30 years, Daniela became a medical assistant, inspired the only trans healthcare provider in Santa Cruz County, and completed her own transition. As her mother’s health declines, Daniela decides to risk it all by petitioning for asylum.
Overview
Libertad is featured-length documentary film expanded from an award-winning short with the same name. After premiering at Outfest Fusion, it screened at Frameline and 25 festivals worldwide before winning the Jury Award best short at Cine Las Americas. Audience were so moved that they contacted us wanting to learn more about her backstory, her uncertain future, and plans for moving forward powerful conversations about social issues in the film. What began as a short profile piece of a local Santa Cruz resident has grown into a 7-year-collaboration between Alejandra and our team. Our creative team is majority Latine, immigrant, and femme. Together we have over 50 years of film experience, and we are excited about bringing this story to a wider audience to challange the systemic injustice of our immigration system that separates families and divides communities.
The Team
Director/Producer, Brenda Avila-Hanna, is an immigrant whose work defies stereotypes while shedding light on injustices. Her award-winning films have been showcased at the Tribeca, HotDocs Toronto, and Cine Las America. Read more.
Impact Producer, André Pérez, is a Latinx transgender artist, educator, and organizer with 15 years of experience working to advance trans communities of color. His work’s been supported by Creative Capital, Sundance, and Doc Society. Read more.
Lead Editor/Post-Production Producer, Melina Tupa holds a Bachelor in Journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and a Master of Journalism from UC Berkeley. Her work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Read more.
Director of Photography/ Producer, Kati Greaney has worked on documentary, commercial and interactive projects in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, Tamil Nadu, and the US including “Inside the Distance”, which was awarded the prestigious Rockefeller/Tribeca Film Festival New Media Fellowship. Read more.
Libertad is supported by
