IDFA Forum Award Winner Kani Lapuerta on Trans Girl Documentary "Ninxs"

Seven years ago Kani Lapuerta started working on his first feature documentary "Ninxs" . About Karla, a 14-year-old trans girl who lives in Mexico and lives in a binary society, the project won the IDFA Forum award for best pitch at the 35th edition of the Amsterdam-based documentary festival on November 15.

Produced by Mexican company La Sandía Digital Producción Audiovisual and German companies Jyoti Film and Dirk Manthey Film, "Ninxs" which is the inclusive, non-binary version of the word niños (children), is in the early stages of editing.

Lapuerta said he decided to do the docu to show the public that trans people are more than being trans.

"It's a coming of age movie that deals with many topics like memory , friendship and love," says Lapuerta. "For me, the important thing is that the public can identify with Karla through these subjects and not because she is trans or that she is not. trans."

Lapuerta's "Ninxs" have already been invited to participate in the Project Space workshop of the IDFA and have received funding through Bertha's Festival Fund.

Variety spoke with Lapuerta, who is trans, about the end of "Ninxs", which l helped win the Pitch Forum and how he plans to make the project accessible to young people.

How did you meet Karla?

She's the daughter of friends I've known for many years. So I've known her since she was little.

Did it take a lot of persuading to get her on camera?

We started filming seven years ago when she was seven. At first, it was more of a game. I wasn't thinking of making a film, I was just exploring. But over time I found out I was making a movie, so that's how it happened.

Where is the project at now?

We are now gathering all the material from the past seven years and starting to find the structure of the movie. So we see where the gaps are in the story and what things we still need to film. Additionally, we are writing a script and shooting at the same time.

You are a subject in the movie. Why?

The film has different narrative devices. One is all the observational material that we have from the last seven years. Another is the conversations between Karla and me that give structure (to the doc). These moments delve deeper into the subjects that are at the heart of the film.

How did you prepare for the Forum Pitch?

English is not our native language, so it was more difficult to express ourselves. We practiced a lot to make sure that the main points we wanted to share with the audience (were conveyed).

You were one of the 22 documentary projects selected for the Pitch. What do you think made your pitch stand out?

We used a lot of humor, which is part of the film's style. We tried to pitch it a bit like a stand-up comedy. There are a lot of great projects in the Forum, but sometimes documentary projects treat scenes very seriously. The way we work at my production company is to find other narrative ways to tell stories of resistance and resilience.

In the description of "Ninxs" it says the movie will be 75 minutes long. Is this an estimate or will it be 75 minutes?

No. We have planned two versions. A 75 minute version for festivals etc. And then a v...