DESCRIPTION

INVISIBLE BUTTERFLIES (MARIPOSAS INVISIBLES) is a documentary that portraits beings that choose to transform themselves in order to feel and live through episodes which do not correspond to them within society or as individuals. Men which transform into BEAUTIFUL WOMEN, ..into beauty queens.

Through a beauty pageant, INVISIBLE BUTTERFLIES explores the different motivations that some homosexual men have in order to experience being fabulous beauty queens. We discover beings with an incredible transformation capacity, which not only involves physical characteristics, but also their social roles and the ways in which this plays into their regular lifestyle. Makeup, adhesive tape, depilation, wig, 8 pairs of socks, foam fillings, taped genitalia in order to hide and women’s feelings and expressions, are some of the subjects revealed in this documentary.

Following the different stages of the event, we tag along 5 individuals chosen by production, in order to attempt to show what makes this so important, and what is it that they receive as a reward that justifies a very uncomfortable transformation process, various expenses which they cannot afford, medical examinations and being placed as a target of mockery and envy. The chosen ones are:

JOSÉ JARA (GUÍSELE BORJA SANABRIA, MISS RUSIA): Accounting assistant.
Lives with his boyfriend, who supports him in his transformation and likes to have sexual relations with him when transformed.
YESID MALAVER (YURI LANZ SMITH, MISS COSTA RICA): Logistic and event consultant.
Even though he does not posses the physical characteristics of a beauty queen (1,63 cm in height), he not only participates, but also personifies feminine artists in different bars in the city. He is currently in the process of a adopting a girl.
JANSY MARTES (LAURA SOFíA BRIGTON CALLEJAS, MISS SPAIN): Clothes designer.
Strong contender for the crown with an amazing transformation. He evidences the event’s envies and injustices.
FREIDY MAYA (ISABELA QUIROGA QUINTANA, MISS BRAZIL). Stylist.
Very insecure, guided by his best friend, the current Miss Gay International. Even though he lacks histrionic abilities, he is happy when transformed.
LUIS EDUARDO RUIZ (PAMELA DJALIL VILLANUEVA, MISS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC): Management assistant. It’s his first time in an event of this magnitude. His insecurity can be mistaken for rebellion, which generates various conflicts with the choreographer.

These 5 individuals join another twenty in their quest to become the most admired and beautiful women in Miss Gay International, where only one will be the victor.

With a dynamic and agile format, we witness apparently amusing moments, but underneath we discover strong human pathologies and their capacity to adapt in order to maintain a general balance, an emotional stability and a vital psyche is evidenced.



VISUAL AND CONCEPTUAL TREATMENT

Approximately 2 years ago, I found out about a transvestites pageant which was going to be held. I managed to speak to the organizers and they gave me the chance of being a juror. When witnessing the process I decided it should be documented. I found the tenacity of these individuals to be happy or to find a balance, at any cost, in their self esteem, hallucinating. These human beings live amongst us, they are part of our society and we don’t even know about it. Through this process, that in Bogotá there are pageants being held every week. And for us, they are invisible. They are Invisible Butterflies.
Felipe Dothée- Director.