Humanising the gaze _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Intertwined with songs and poems by trans writer, poet, and artist Susy Shock, Argentinian film Labyrinth of the Moons snakes its way through themes of identity, motherhood, and trans childhood.

Audiences can catch the film at Lighthouse Cuba during Pride Week on the 6^th of March as part of a fundraiser organised by Latin Cuirs for QUILTED BANANAS radio – a station for celebrating gender diverse folk.

Directed by Lucrecia Mastrangelo, Labyrinth of the Moons follows the stories of Karla Ojeda (48) and Maira Ramírez (50), two trans mums who are going through adoption, and Gabriela Mansilla (42), the mother of a trans girl.

Labyrinth of the Moons dives into the universe of travesti (transvestite), which in Argentina is a term re-appropriated and re-signified by the community itself as a political and social identity, María Belén Cupeiro from Latin Cuirs says.

“Ojeda is an important activist from the travesti movement in Argentina, the political movement responsible for the Gender Identity Law”, Cupeiro continues. Though advances have been made thanks to travesti activism, this group continues to be marginalised and targeted by police on charges of drug trafficking and sex work regardless of their engagement in these activities.

Argentinian filmmaker Mastrangelo addresses issues concerning the rights of the queer community. In her own words, she is committed to humanising the gaze so that cinema can continue to be a tool for social transformation.