A Fantastic Woman: A woman’s constant battle to keep her hard-earned identity

On March 4, Chilean film “A Fantastic Woman” took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Director Sebastián Lelio illustrated prejudice at individual and institutional level about trans-women through the titular character of Marina (Daniela Vega). Throughout the film, we see her as a dignified cabaret singer, waitress and lover. But those sides of her are invisible to the patriarchal society that views her as an abomination. The film opens with the scenic view of a waterfall; a projection, we later learn, of a romantic vacation that never occurs. Early on in the film, Marina’s lover, a divorced 57 year old Orlando (Francisco Reyes) suffers from a fatal aneurysm on her birthday, tumbling down the stairs to his death. The police stalk her as a suspect in Orlando’s death and the Sexual Offenses Investigation Unit demands her to pose for nude photos in the name of “thorough physical inspection.” But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, considering the range of torment this movie has in store for its protagonist. Except for Orlando’s brother, his entire family, including his ex-wife Sonia bully Marina by barring her from his funeral and threatening to evict her from the apartment she shared with him. His son goes an extra mile by stealing her dog, Diabla and eventually assaulting her physically in public. She is often referred to as “he” while her relationship with Orlando is dubbed as “a perversion” by all. In a quiet moment of reflection, as Marina is driving down familiar streets remembering her late lover, Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” plays in the background, mirroring her beleaguered state of mind. Infused with mystery and melodrama, “A Fantastic Woman,” rebels against a conformist society that pushes transgender persons to the margins. Director Lelio respectfully shifts the gaze of the camera when the misogynistic characters in the movie scrutinize Marina’s body with cruel curiosity. For instance, when the Sexual Offenses Investigation Unit photographer demands that she bares her private parts, we see their lust-filled expressions instead. Factions of the LGBTQ community will commend this film for its trans-as-trans casting, a detail sidestepped by the likes of “The Danish Girl,” “Twin Peaks” and “Transparent.” This film shattered a glass ceiling for many non-cisgender people. Apart from winning Best Foreign Language Film at the 90^th Academy Awards, actor Daniela Vega erected a milestone of her own in history by becoming the first transgender presenter at the Oscars. As the director puts it, this film certainly has the power to “come out of the screen and enter social consciousness.”