Release Year: 2006
Original title: Les travestis pleurent aussi
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
In the heart of Paris, tucked away in a narrow side street near the bustling Place de Clichy, there exists a hidden world—a world of darkness, vulnerability, and resilience. This is where the lives of marginalized Ecuadorian trans women unfold in Sebastiano d’Ayala Valva’s poignant 2006 documentary, Les Travestis Pleurent Aussi (Transvestites Also Cry). The film takes us behind the doors of seedy hotels, beneath the glitz of Parisian landmarks, and into the lives of trans sex workers who live on the fringes of society. What d'Ayala Valva captures is not just the pain of these individuals, but also their strength, humor, and unyielding desire for a better life.
The documentary centers on two Ecuadorian trans women, Romina and Mia, who live and work in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris’ notorious park where many transgender women engage in sex work. As illegal immigrants, they are forced into a life of exploitation, navigating both the challenges of their marginalized gender identities and the harsh realities of their status as undocumented migrants in France.
The narrative unfolds in two small, dingy hotels located in a back alley, a stone’s throw away from the popular tourist destinations of Place de Clichy. These hotels, with their dilapidated interiors, provide a temporary refuge for the women who work the streets of Paris. Their faces are etched with hardship, their lives deeply affected by the stigma of their profession and their gender identities. Yet, through d'Ayala Valva's lens, these spaces also become places where their stories of joy, sorrow, and survival are told.
