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<\/a><\/p>\nMala Mala<\/i> begins on a festive and vibrant note as we are first introduced to the island\u2019s well-known drag troupe \u201cThe Doll House\u201d through an opening montage whose style is uncannily reminiscent of the 90\u2019s Club Kid scene.\u00a0 The narrative gradually grows more serious as we meet other individuals through various stages of transition; including Sandy (featured image), an unapologetic and inspiring prostitute with a captivating charisma; Paxx, the film\u2019s only gender-queer biological female aspiring to an FTM transition despite having no medical or educational support system; Ivana, the island\u2019s most famous trans rights activist and public figure who travels throughout the capital handing out condoms and flyers to sex workers; Samantha, who transitioned through hormones sold on the black market and must now cope with the resulting health complications; and Soraya, an incredibly wise elderly woman who does not consider herself trans at all.\u00a0 These various stories ultimately converge during the second half of the film, as our characters\u2019 non-profit organization \u201cThe Butterfly Trans Foundation\u201d leads a successful fight for equal employment and healthcare rights during an LGBTQ rally in the island\u2019s capital city.<\/p>\n Documenting the daily lives of their subjects over the course of three years, Sickles and Santini paint an articulate and tasteful portrait of each individual\u2019s humanity and beauty without any sense of exploitation.\u00a0 With an aesthetic tone that reflects the diverse personalities portrayed, Mala Mala <\/i>reveals the richness of Puerto Rico\u2019s trans scene, and in doing so draws a fascinating parallel between the trans community and Puerto Rican culture as a whole.\u00a0 However, as much as the film is about these trans and queer folk carving out a place for themselves in society, it is just as much a celebration of their uniqueness.\u00a0 Whether using boldly fluorescent color schemes to illuminate the flamboyant drag scene, or filming Sandy with a reserved air of dignity as she roams the streets of San Juan, Sickles and Santini intimately capture these moments in a way that is candid yet respectful.<\/p>\n What makes Mala Mala <\/i>resonate so strongly with audiences is its power to move you on both an emotional and intellectual level.\u00a0 The diverse stories and experiences shared in the film allow each individual to offer incredibly thoughtful insights that are humbling, self-aware, and at times refreshingly contradictory to one another. For example, one of the most memorable moments in the film occurs early on as Soraya and Ivana discuss how they identified themselves growing up, particularly as adolescents.\u00a0 When Ivana claims she always considered herself a trans woman, Soraya rejects such a label\u2014stating that she is and always was simply a heterosexual woman.\u00a0 Elaborating on her ideology, Soraya continued to assert that a transsexual* identification is not relevant to her, because it is a label primarily associated with the \u2018aesthetics of physical perfection\u2019.\u00a0 According to Soraya, the discourse of the past shouldn\u2019t be concerned with trans identification, but rather with understanding gender dysphoria; for she considers the term \u201ctranssexual\u201d to be closely associated with the superficial aspiration of attaining a flawless image, whereas gender dysphoria is a psychological phenomenon <\/i>that allows one to internalize <\/i>the essence <\/i>of the opposite gender. Says Soraya; \u201cI\u2019ve met many transsexuals that look like stunning Barbie Dolls, yet halfway through their transition\u2014when they actually witness their anatomical transformation\u2014they freak out and voila!\u00a0 \u2018transsexual\u2019 gets the boot!\u00a0 These individuals soon realize that they didn\u2019t necessarily want to become a woman, but a beauty queen.\u00a0 On the contrary, it is gender dysphoria that allows you to embody the other gender in mind, body, and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet another subject featured in the film is Alberic; a Regina George obsessed, Marilyn Monroe idolizing member of The DollHouse who offers an intelligible drag perspective: \u201cI have many ideas of what I want to be, and none of them have to have a specific gender.\u00a0 These ideas come from a place within the heart and that is called inspiration.\u00a0 I admit that once I realized drag was an alter-ego and not a persona, I didn\u2019t love it as much.\u00a0 But what people don\u2019t understand is that I can be proud to be a man while still finding empowerment in drag.\u00a0 It is a beautiful illusion: a re-creation of myself into a fabulous female.\u201d<\/p>\n Sitting down with the Mala Mala <\/i>team, I was eager to address the myriad of questions their film inspired, and what ensued was a passionate and enlightening dialogue.\u00a0 At one point in the conversation, Sandy began describing the trans phobic climate in Puerto Rico; \u201cGays and lesbians are completely accepted and assimilated into society; many couples openly display affection in public with no problem at all.\u00a0 Even drag queens are seen as a celebrity; appearing on TV series like RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race <\/i>as that glamorous diva who will put on a fierce show.\u00a0 But transsexuals are either discriminated against or completely disregarded in society.\u00a0 People wonder why there are so many trans sex workers in Puerto Rico?\u00a0 It\u2019s because there are no jobs being given to us\u2014all an employer has to do is look at your birth certificate and it\u2019s over.\u00a0 I mean, women are still being oppressed in the workforce\u2014so you can only imagine how impossible it is for a trans woman!\u00a0 We are merely seen as a fetishized sex object: only visible during the nighttime to entertain at a club or please on the streets.\u00a0 But, we have to appreciate the progress one step at a time, and passing Senate Bill 238 was a big victory!\u201d\u00a0 So what\u2019s in store for The Butterfly Foundation?\u00a0 \u201cWe are working on building public retirement homes for the elderly trans population in our community\u201d, adds Ivana.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>