ALTAR: Cruzando Fronteras, Building Bridges(2009)

The Disappearance of Shere Hite(en)

Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?

Kokomo City(en)

Four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City break down the walls of their profession.

Radical Self Acceptance(en)

We are living in the time of a heteronormative society that antagonizes Queer people for their Being-ness. In Africa, it is believed that we are un-African to Proudly be Our LGBTQIA+ selves. In this short documentary, we share with you researched origins of modern homophobia and queerphobia, while exposing hidden truths about the English bible. The short is a testament to the harmful effects of colonialism and the dangers of religious indoctrination. This film offers audiences the opportunity to question what we have been told to believe is true about queer people.

Lives Under The Red Light(en)

A documentary film focusing on the lives of a ladyboy who work as sex workers in Phnom Penh. Most of them were kicked out from their families and came to live in Phnom Penh and ended up working in the sex industry. This film sensitively deals with the daily discrimination they face. Sex work places them at risk to gang rape, sex violence, drugs and arrests by police. This documentary offers a window onto the lives of these sex workers in modern day Cambodian society.

Private Diary(es)

Private Diary documents photographer Pedro Usabiaga working with a variety of amateur models. The audience sees how the relationships between the photographer and the subjects changes during their time together, as well as how the individual photographs begin to take shape. Pedro Usabiaga is a well-established Basque photographer whose chief concerns are figurative photography and whose passion in photographing the Spanish male. In this hour long conversation with the artist we are given entry into that process of selecting models (none of the models he uses for this book to be titled 'Private Diary' are professional, but instead are randomly chosen as Usabiaga observes athletes in action) and then allowed to follow Usabiaga and his crew as they photograph these men in natural settings and natural light.

Here I Belong(fr)

Flora and Louise met in Yaoundé (Cameroon). They fell in love and ever since then have never left each other's side. By pushing open the door of the nonprofit housing them, I discovered the story behind their refugee status and the reasons behind their exile.

Queer Gardening(en)

In this film, 24 LGBTQIA2* gardeners show their gardens and explain how their queerness affects the design of the spaces. They also speak about how they are queering ecology, as well as the natural-cultural relationship. Ella von der Haide has been visiting community gardens in North America for several years with her camera. It is the 6th film in her documentary series Another world is plantable! about community gardens, and their social-ecological activism worldwide.

Romeo & Julius(da)

A young group of actors are preparing an updated version of Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET. Two boys perform the central roles - both of them struggling with their own questions of love alongside their roles on stage. And as rehearsals begin, reality soon starts to interfere with the play.

Madame(pt)

The documentary tells the story of Camille Cabral, Northeastern woman, transsexual, first Brazilian elected in France.

Action Directe(en)

French powerhouse climber Mélissa Le Nevé tries to become the first woman to traverse Action Directe, one of the most revered and challenging routes in the sport.

The Traitor(de)

Hoping to become a great singer in Germany, a young dreamer named Ernst Schrämli finds himself drawn into underhand dealings. Determined to escape a suffocating environment that annihilates any kind of creative or artistic impetus, Ernst sells information about the Swiss army to a Nazi spy by the name of August Schmid, who charms and manipulates him. When Ernst’s crime is uncovered, he is sentenced to death for espionage and treason, becoming the first Swiss citizen to be executed.

La quête de Khate(fr)

This short documentary presents the process surrounding Khate Lessard's sex reassignment surgery.

Carlos Sainz: The Operator(es)

Tasha Diamant's Human Body Project(en)

Gandhi said: 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' In this experiential open forum shot at a fringe theater festival, Tasha Diamant, a mother, artist, and educator, models human vulnerability by appearing naked and unscripted. Diamant has bravely chosen to 'be' or embody the humanity we all share: physicality, fragility, mortality. The goal: authenticity, compassion, peace. Engaged audiences connect and participate.

Radical Vulnerability(en)

Performance artist Tasha Diamant is the first person in the world to stand naked on the street with the Extinction Symbol, which she started in 2012. This mini-doc was shot in 2019 in Montreal. Her work confronts privilege, capitalism, state oppression, obliviousness, whiteness, to name a few. Ask yourself: why 10 cops?

Wir haben lange geschwiegen(de)

After a woman’s silent rage erupts into a fight post-coitus, a women’s group analyzes her refusal to stay passive. Another scene shows a woman’s despair when her lover misses their meeting, prompting the group to reject passive waiting. Together, they combat issues like rape, prostitution, and abortion rights (§218) to reclaim self-determination.

Repense o Elogio(pt)

A documentary that proposes a conversation about the way children are praised. While girls are often praised solely for their appearance, boys can receive compliments by highlighting their skills. "Rethink the Praise" reflects on the power of words and culture that has brought an imbalance in the way we commend our boys and girls.

Who I Am Not(en)

Sharon-Rose Khumalo, a South African beauty queen, faces an identity crisis after discovering she's intersex. Her path crosses with Dimakatso Sebidi, a masculine-presenting intersex activist, as they both navigate a journey marked by society’s stigma and inner struggles. Intertwining raw reality with poetic beauty, Who I am Not captures the heart-wrenching fight for acceptance in a binary world.

Gilda Love(es)

Gilda chose Gilda because of Hayworth and at 98 years old is the oldest active drag queen in the world. And lives in Barcelona. Two hours following Gilda's daily life, from morning to night, where you can see what the person behind the makeup, the feathers and the heels is like.

Bulgaria in Trance(bg)

“Bulgaria in Trance” aims to make an impartial portrait of the trans community in Bulgaria by telling the personal stories of the trans women who took part in the exhibition “The Other Bulgarians”.