“T4T” is where trans folks can speak with each other directly, from the heart, without having to make ourselves legible to cis society. Here, we will tell stories that center our joy and our pleasure, our rage and our resilience, our quirks, our dreams, our love. Here, no experience or idea is too niche or too wacky — we care about what you care about. Read more from the series here.
A year ago, my dear friend and collaborator Robert Nachman and I traveled to Oaxaca and Mexico City, where we lived together for two transformative months. At the time, we were both broken-hearted and hoped that a change in our environment and a visit with old friends would reinvigorate our desire to be creative beyond the capitalist confines of our filmmaking careers.
While in Oaxaca, we spent countless humid nights with the visual artist and performer Diego Sanchez-Maitret. Together, the three of us would smoke schwag and philosophize in Spanish. We engaged in deep, meandering, and intimate conversations that had no aim except discovery. There was a thrill and a catharsis in asking each other our most personal and spiritual questions and letting the messy, unprocessed answers find solid ground through the course of dialogue. Robert and I would leave Diego’s house invigorated and inspired. The level of presence and depth we were able to access with them felt urgent and life-affirming.
These conversations with Diego became the seed of our short film “Entre Amigxs,” which translates to “between queer friends.” The film compiles Super 8 footage, 16 mm film, and camcorder clips of moments “between friends,” exploring how a group of queer and trans artists living in Mexico City are able to forge a space for themselves outside the dominant culture.
To make the film, Robert and I reached out to a handful of queer and trans artists on Instagram asking them to be part of our project. In truth, we used the idea of making a film as a way to spend open-ended time with people we admired in a new city. Rather than structuring the process like a traditional film shoot, we envisioned an experiential approach that would allow us to capture some of the magic we experienced with Diego on camera.
This creative approach mirrored the feelings both Robert and I shared of being “works in progress.” We didn’t know what the film would be, but could the desire to ask honest questions and be totally present through the process of discovering the answers be enough? The first artist we got to hang out with was Angel, and in true poetic form, they immediately responded to our heart call with their own.
“There are days I feel a complete freedom to be who I am, even though I don’t know who I am. By not naming something the only solution left is to live it, to experience it,” they told us. “Because some things cannot be named, they can only be lived. They are indescribable, like love.”
The one downside of making a film in this way is that you end up with far more material than you could ever use. Below are additional insights from each of the featured artists that couldn’t make it into the final cut of the film. We asked about the role that community plays in their lives, what it’s like to be a trans person in Mexico City, and how they relate to joy and art-making.
Angel is a poet and artist. They love drawing, cooking, thinking, and creating music.
What role does friendship play in your life?
I grew up with the idea that friendship is something you possess, and because of that, I experienced a lot of loneliness. Now I see my friends as humans who share their vision and love for their own life with me. Friendship is about being able to be who you are with another person — to be free, and to have the chance to share that uniqueness and liberation with others.
How do you think about gender and queerness?
Gender is something very personal. If I do HRT, I don’t want to do it because of gender, but instead for my own autonomy as a human. I think that growing up as a queer person is beneficial for a spiritual path, because you’re an outsider. You exist outside of what society tells you that you have to be, and so that allows you to reach these very deep, inner places in your soul and in your body.
Julié is a fashion model from Mexico City. She is a proud Aries.
What role do your friends play in your life?
My friends are everything to me — my psychologists, my teachers, my judges, but above all, they are my family. They are important to me because they bring joy to my life, but also because they teach me how to question and deconstruct my sense of self. Above all, having a community makes it so I never feel alone. I know that if something happens to me they will scream as loud as I would for them.
What do you feel walking down the street?
Honestly, I have two perspectives. The first is that there can be a lot of insecurity — you have to take care of yourself so that you are protected from people who want to hurt you, say something ugly to you, or treat you in some way they shouldn’t, like misgender you, etc. But sometimes, it feels amazing. I mean, you are the center of attention all the time, and it isn’t always a negative thing. Often I receive really nice comments from strangers. I love it.
Natan is an artist, model and designer from Mexico City. Their work explores their positive and negative experiences as a queer person — themes of sexuality, abuse, rejection, love, and identity. They also use their artistic practice to share and explore their Mexican culture and traditions, from ancient folklore to the biodiversity of their ancestral land.
Where do you find the most joy in your life these days?
In my work. All branches of creativity and entertainment are expanding to see and recognize queer people and queer artists. Being a part of this moment in history, being able to have opportunities where the world can finally recognize everything we have to offer fills my soul. I am not isolated like how I imagine David Bowie was, in an industry that saw him as a freak. Instead, I feel like I am one link in a long chain of mega diverse, beautiful, creative and talented freaks.
What do you feel walking down the street?
It’s pure adrenaline. It’s like walking a piece of meat between cages of hungry animals biting and scratching at the cage to get a bite. Existence is reduced to the most basic human instinct, survival.
Torina Moreno is a music producer and DJ from Celaya, Guanajuato, México and is now based in Mexico City. She has been releasing music under her pseudonym “Perdid” since 2018. She just released her third project, an EP titled “la perra que el género licua // the gender bending bitch,” which includes a mix of hyperpop, latin club, cumbia and pop. Next up, Perdid will perform at the Somos and Ceremonia 2024 festivals.
How did you get into music?
I started making music when I was seven years old. My first song was about empanadas, and then from there I started writing music when my heart was broken, when I was missing a person I loved very much who had moved away. I would take my mom’s computer when she was out of the house and make Lady Gaga covers on Garageband. Now that I identify as a trans woman, the relationship between my music and my gender identity has converged a little more. I don’t make my gender visible in my music all the time, but it’s a part of me, so it shines through in everything I do.
Suir is a drag performer, model, and artist. He is passionate about fashion, queer love, and freedom.
How would you describe your style?
My style is extravagant and free. I would say it’s flamboyant, and I love to shock people. Yesterday I wore a skirt and I could tell people were shocked seeing me walking down the street. I love to combine boy clothes and girl clothes, and lots of accessories. I have tattooed all of my idols on my right arm: Madonna, Selena, Freddie Mercury, Zemmoa, and Andy Warhol. They have made me strong through their music, art, and life experiences.
What do you feel walking down the street?
I can feel freedom, just that.
“Entre Amigxs” is a short documentary/fashion film co-directed by Robert Nachman and Lío Mehiel, produced by Voyeur Productions, and available to watch on NOWNESS.
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