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KELLY

Synopsis: 

"Kelly" is a film about a person who lives in a foreign country and in a foreign body.
Kelly is a Brazilian transsexual who found refuge in a mediterranean holiday village
in Italy. She lives on prostitution and desperately looks for the love of her life.
Carrying the scars of a harsh past, she keeps pursuing her childhood dream of
being a singer and actress.

One day she sees a man in the street and falls in love with the unknown stranger.
Too shy to approach him, she seeks guidance in rituals of the Afro-Brazilian
religion Candomblé and transforms her desires into imaginative performances.
Her close friends accompany her, but often disagree with her romantic ideals.

The film is a psychological portrait of a complex and contradictory person who
reflects human hopes and dreams in an often excessive way and continues
her search for love and fulfilment against all odds.

Runtime: 
00:59:00
English subtitle: 
Yes
Information for the Audience: 

When living in Italy, Felipe Frozza heard about the stories of many Brazilian
transsexuals who had come to Italy since the 80s in search for better life conditions.
The similar language, catholic moral and sexual habits and a huge demand for
transsexual prostitution among Italian men made it possible for them to create a life
and earn a living at the margins of Italian society.
When we - Felipe and Uli - went to Lido di Classe - "il paese delle trans", we
discovered an interesting microcosm that reflected many characteristics of Italian
society and the Brazilian trans community in just one tiny place. Following our
origninal plan to draw a political portrait of this complex society, we came accross
Kelly and her friends. Due to the often illegal situation they are forced into as
immigrants and sex workers, many topics could not be addressed directly, but we
had to find ways that made them tangible. Listening to their stories we realized that
the common topic that moved all of them was "love" and that through "love" we could
access deeper areas of the protagonists' lives.
Choosing Kelly as the main character for the film was not an easy task. Her
unpredictable personality sometimes almost drove us crazy. However she has a
unique intensity that is not easily found. We learned a lot with her and with all our
protagonists and the people we met through the film.
We want to give the audience a glimps into Kelly's life and the lives of Brazilian
transsexuals who made Italy their home. That's why we put this film out into the
world.

Screenings / Awards: 

- Preselected Toronto International Independent Film Festival, Canada, January 2018.

- El Ojo Cojo - International Film Festival, Madrid, Spain, November 2017

- LA San Rafael Film Festival, San Rafael, USA, December 2017

- PerSo - Perugia Social Film Festival, Italy, September 2017

- Mzansi Womens Film Festival, Johannesburg, South Africa, August 2017

- AM Eqypt Film Festival, Kairo, Egypt, August 2017

- DIGO - Sexual Diversity and Gender - international Film Festival, Goiás, Brazil, June 2017

 

 

 

 

Directed by: 
Felipe Frozza and Uli Decker
Produced by: 
ulises films Uli Decker and Felipe Frozza
Release Date: 
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Official website: 
https://www.ulises-films.de/documentaries/kelly/
Total votes: 16154