There have been countless films on the AIDS epidemic, but The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Céspedes provides a distinct perspective, emphasizing humor, family, and, most importantly, love. The Cannes Film Festival selection focuses on a community of trans women living in a mining village in Chile in 1982, the early days of the disease. It combines folklore, real-world poverty, and disinformation about the terrible disease that killed an entire generation of young people at the peak of their lives.
Naturally, in a rural mining town with limited resources, the inhabitants create a narrative that is more fiction than fact around AIDS – they begin to believe that prolonged eye contact with a gay man or trans woman will lead to infection.
Our story follows Flamingo (Matias Catalán), a trans woman who adopts eleven-year-old Lidia (Tamara Cortes) after her birth mother abandons her. The boys in the village bully Lidia because of her Flamingo’s identity. But the trans community, who have relied on one another for strength and community, rally around the child, providing her with emotional support as well as safety. When they learn of her suffering, they promptly exact revenge – threatening the boys by looking into their eyes, using the myth to their advantage. It’s their way of showing the world that, they are not weak.
In fact, the film opens with the story of the sickness being transferred by a single glance, which helps viewers understand why the miners look away and cover their eyes whenever they encounter the women.
Or mostly they look away, while some are enchanted, even as they refuse to be identified as anything other than straight in public. In fact, the women often talk about how the miners have no issue running into the shadows to satisfy their urges while during the day attacking them with slurs.
This trait is at the center of the toxic relationship between Flamingo and Yovani (Pedro Muñoz). They met at a weekly cabaret the ladies put on. It’s very reminiscent of the New York ballroom scene. Yovani immediately becomes enchanted with Flamingo, beginning a torrid love affair. Despite realizing the potential for disaster, Yovani and Flamingo can’t resist their attraction.
Yovani soon finds himself infected, having to grapple with the realization that his secret love affair is now on full display for the world to see. Exposed, he must confront both his masculine identity and his sexuality. And he must wrestle with the conflict of falling in love with a transwoman and the anger he feels toward her for infecting him.
Céspedes does an excellent job of Yovani’s internal conflict – one moment he see him pleading for relief and in the next, cursing Flamingo’s whole existence. But he succumbs to his rage and tragedy ensues.
The incident had a significant effect on the women. The group’s matriarch, Boa (Paula Dinamarca), feels responsible now that Lidia has lost her only parent. Clemente (Luis Dubo), the town’s senior miner, arrives to protect the women from further danger. He forms a defense to protect the women from discrimination and avoid further casualties. During the ensuing confrontation, he and Boa discover they have feelings for each other. And their healthy relationship offers a counterpoint to Yovanni and Flamingo’s tragic tale.
The film may veer off at times but at its heart, it has an important conversation about how trans women deserve to be loved and be their authentic selves without fear. The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo also celebrates their humanity, particularly in how they love and support their chosen families. The women’s tiny home may be held together by wooden boards, but it still offers a space of acceptance and freedom. Talk about a theme that holds significant relevance today.
