A Fantastic Woman is the greatly humane story of Marina, a trans woman, who wants to gain the right to mourn the man she loved and the partner she lost. Directed by the Chilean director Sebastián Lelio of Gloria (2013) and starring trans actress Daniela Vega, Una Mujer Fantastica does not rely on stereotypes and clichés to tell its story, instead it just gives us a rather realistic look at the life of someone who just wants to be accepted in the world.
Marina is celebrating her birthday with her older boyfriend Orlando (Francisco Reyes); they have dinner at a restaurant, she blows the cake candles and they make love in their appartment. However, the night does not end up happily. Orlando wakes up not feeling well and after Marina takes him to the hospital (after a drop in the stairs when he lost consciousness), he sadly passes on. This leaves Marina in the unfortunate position of not only having to calmly face the loss of her partner, but also of calling his relatives. What she has to endure, though, is ever bigger than anticipated.
Orlando's relatives do not know how to treat her; it would be hard enough if she was just his girlfriend, let alone now that she is a trans woman. His son is hostile and violent towards her, not understanding his father's choices; his ex-wife is cruel and cold (quite expected from an ex, to be fair). Orlando's brother tries to keep up appearances: he is kind to her while at the same time trying to diplomatically keep her away from the funeral and the other close-minded relatives.
However, Marina does not seem to care about their reaction. She does not even really act differently against the policeman or the doctor who treat her like a criminal who must have killed Orlando because who in their right mind could be in a relationship with her? Instead, she seems bored of this behaviour in conservative Chile. Marina just wants to be allowed to say goodbye to the man who loved her for her.
For that, she is A Fantastic Woman and her story is the incredibly humane and rather touching tale of a person who wants to be allowed to love and be loved, to express true feelings and be accepted as just another different part of a diverse world.
For that, she is A Fantastic Woman and her story is the incredibly humane and rather touching tale of a person who wants to be allowed to love and be loved, to express true feelings and be accepted as just another different part of a diverse world.
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