Documentary, 3rd Prize

In the small town of Jogiakarta, Central Java, there is a community of threehundred Muslim transgenders that are trying to defy gravity! They gather together to pray Hallah, they adopt children from the street, they run controversial NGOs and they support one another in the quest to gain more rights from their governement and a wider acceptance from their fellow citizens. Maryani Oriono is not only the mother of her adopted daughter Rizki but also the mother of every other member of her community. In 2004 she opened the first Islamic school in Waria, where she gives weekly teachings and prayers for local transgenders. Aside from the teaching of Islam the school organizes prayer pilgrimages and special activities during the month of Ramadan. It also teaches Islamic economic-based development and it develops further understanding of other religious perspectives in a more moderate Islam in accordance with the times. Although Jogiakarta is a fairly known tolerant city the transgenders still have to face a great degree of problems and struggles; poverty and HIV are among the most serious challenges. Their life it's a rollercoaster made of parties, prostitution, adoptions, God, hospitals, funerals and love. A love that transcend all the dramas and keep them going. This work brings to the surface a different view on the life of transgenders, it highlights a vacuum in our society to address the third sex, it challenges religions for a more moderate stance towards LGBT and it draws attention to our own perspectives on the subject.

Luca Desienna