Transformistas

Filmed covertly without the permission of the Cuban Government, Transformistas tells the story of how a group of drag queens carved out a space for the LBGTQ community in Cuba around the famous Ramón Silverio’s “Mejunje”, at a time when homosexuality was denounced as a product of capitalism. In the face of violent state persecution, when HIV positive people were incarcerated in sanatoriums, their story is one of sacrifice, resilience and commitment to the art form of drag. Transformistas portrays Cuba truthfully, without glossing over hard truths and gritty details, capturing an intimate world that’s often held together with tape and passion alone. Edited to preserve this exciting, immediate feeling, Transformistas interweaves intimate interviews, performances, & archival footage to chart the moving story of Cuban drag queens and their struggle in the pursuit of art, their fight for equal rights, and the tremendous physical and mental challenges they have faced.