Pulsating with raw energy, Gisela Delgadillo’s debut documentary introduces its heroine as her most unapologetic self. Walking on the streets of Mexico City in her shimmering high heels, Kenya is a tower of strength in a world that is devastatingly cruel to her community. A trans sex worker and an activist, she is spurred into action after witnessing the brutal murder of her friend Paola at the hands of a client. Despite ample evidence against him, the perpetrator is allowed to walk free, signifying how the judicial system turns a blind eye to the violence inflicted on trans women.
Intimate and moving in its approach, Delgadillo’s film captures the kind of care work needed in life as well as in death. When not leading protests demanding justice, Kenya is on the phone with Paola’s relatives to ensure that her friend is buried as a woman. We see not one but two funerals, as Kenya also looks after a wake for another trans woman who has died after an illness. Though a force of nature on the outside, she also carries on her shoulders not only her own traumas, but also the cycle of abuse, addiction, and precarity endured by her trans sisters.
However, in focusing on Paola’s tragic end, Delgadillo provides little insight into her life or her personality. At the same time, the film does manage to steer away from revictimising its subjects, largely thanks to Kenya’s magnetic presence; it is rendered even more powerful by the dynamic camerawork. While mainstream media might reduce the existence of trans women to a matter of statistics and sensational headlines, Kenya’s tireless efforts uplift a community whose voices frequently remain unheard.
• Kenya is on True Story from 27 October
