“A Fantastic Woman” Love, Grief, and Compassion in Santiago

By Jose Alberto Hermosillo

“A Fantastic Woman” is a stunning film about love, grief, and compassion – timely arresting, controversially fierce, and undeniably moving. A modern masterpiece.

“A Fantastic Woman” is this year’s underdog to win the Oscar© for Best

Foreign Language Film.

In 2010, the favorite picture to win the Oscar© for Best Foreign Language was Michael Haneke’s masterwork “The White Ribbon” - the Argentinean inciteful picture - “The Secret in Their Eyes” took the gold. This year, the Swedish Palm d’Or winner “The Square” is the front-runner, but the South American transsexual venture could be a big surprise.

The Chilean contender elevates the public into the universal paradigm of what will happen if the person you love dies in your arms?
 
Marina Vidal is reliable and at the same time a vulnerable transgender performer - a hard-working waitress who dreams about one day becoming a “Torch Singer.”  

"A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017

What makes this insightful film more authentic and relevant is the person who plays Marina is Daniela Vega, a real transgender actress, and a great singer with a beautiful voice.

Orlando (Francisco Reyes), a 57-year-old, divorced, owner of a textile company, is Marina’s lover. The camera pans him admiring Marina while she sings “Your Love is Yesterday's Newspapers.” After that, the devoted couple celebrates Marina's birthday over Chinese where he professes his love to her.

"A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017

Later that evening, Marina rushes him to the hospital. The first perplexing moment in that chaotic situation asphyxiates her, as she has to deal not only with the pain of losing someone dear to her, but with the scrutiny of doctors, police, and the detective officer from the sexual offenses unit. All of them want to implicate her in a crime that did not occur, just for the simple fact that she is a transsexual woman.

AFI FEST, a standing ovation for A FANTASTIC WOMAN, photo Jose Hermosillo, Copyright FestivalinLA 2017.

What follows after the initial shock of Orlando's sudden death is even worse than the regular business of dying. When Marina wants to go to her lover’s funeral, his ex-wife does not agree. She has to explain to the singer that the relationship between Marina and her ex-husband is an act of perversion.

Her effort to keep Marina away from the family becomes a campaign that involves humiliation, abuse, an attempt to have her arrested.

Orlando suffered head wounds from a fall as she was trying to get him to the hospital. The family ashamed of their father's “immoral” conduct, will try to break Marina's spirit. Their imagination runs them wild.

Through Maria's experience, we can see social injustice. She has to confront society and its laws. Marina is not a criminal, a prostitute, nor the monster everyone thinks she is. She is a hard-working human being with dreams and emotions like everyone else, as she proudly says: "My name is Marina Vidal, do you have a problem with that?

Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio (“Gloria”) has an innovative style of storytelling that focuses on women's issues with a heightened awareness, sensibility, and respect. 

Leilo’s humanistic approach is impactful.

Sebastian Lelio, 'A Fantastic Woman.' Photo by Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA 

Influenced by the magic-realism of the also Chilean writer Isabel Allende (“The House of the Spirits”), the pen of Sebastián Lelio and his co-writer Gonzalo Masa developed the main character with universal appeal, mixing this traditional drama with magic-realism and hyper-realism.

Director Sebastian Lelio, 'A Fantastic Woman' Photo Jose Hermosillo 
©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA 

In like manner, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason’s documentary “Bridegroom” (2013), addresses the touchy subject of “domestic partners” and the absence of their legal rights in hospitals with their outdated rules and bureaucracy. In Marina’s case, the film exemplifies how in Chile, as in many other places in the world, transgender people and in general, the LGBTQ community are unprotected by the law.

“A Fantastic Woman” is an exquisite film comparable with Pedro Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother.” The most powerful scene comes when a strong wind tries to erase Marina from the earth while she, stoically, remains attached to her destiny.

Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman, Chile. Photo courtesy of the Berlin Film Festival 2017.

The striking visuals, the richness of colors, reflecting mirrors, and perfect framing is the responsibility of the talented cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta, whose arresting images creates the right impact for the viewer.

The opening sequence of the Iguazu Cascades is evocative and visually contrasting with the modern part of the city, in the similar style of Venezuela’s hyper-realistic Golden Lion winner “Desde Allá/From Afar.”

The beauty of the film resides in Marina’s evolution into the perfect woman she wants to be. As she sings Aretha Franklin’s cover, “You Made Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” she attempts to take all that negativity out of her system.

"A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017

Very few movies center on a real transgender person as genuine as in “A Fantastic Woman.” Prejudices and public humiliations represent homophobia. Those stigmas are similar to the ones shown in the relationship between a transgender woman and a U.S. Army Officer in the 2003 TV movie (based on a true story), “Soldier's Girl” by Frank Pierson.

During the film’s conception, actress Daniela Vega was working as a script consultant to bring authenticity to the project - until one day - the director wrote her a letter of invitation to take Marina's lead. Daniela jumped on the spot.

Daniela Vega, 'A Fantastic Woman' Photo Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA 

Daniela Vega’s spectacular breakthrough performance in “A Fantastic Woman” deserved an Oscar© nomination.

Producers Juan de Dios and Pablo Larrain, Daniela Vega and Sebastian Lelio ©2018 Festival in LA

Producers Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín ("No," "Neruda," and "Jackie") invested in a risky film that is taking the world by storm.

“A Fantastic Woman” is classy and a gripping film about the transgender community who have been struggling for quite some time and don’t give up with their fight for "equality and justice" in a closed-minded society.

"A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017

The problems presented in the film need to be addressed in a personal manner with openness. 

The unexpected passing of Orlando sets the grim tone of this Latino, tropical-flamboyant movie from the very beginning. And, its artistic touch makes out of “A fantastic Woman” an inspiring story.

Marina's ordeal challenges its audience providing with the right tools to explore, expand, and connect with empathy and respect with the brave people who choose to be as different as Marina Vidal in “A Fantastic Woman,” a colorful, classy, and mind-blowing film.

A Fantastic Woman trailer

Director Sebastian Lelio, 'A Fantastic Woman' Selfie by Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA 

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