Libertad
About the Film
After surviving a near-fatal assault, an indigenous, transgender teen escaped Mexico 30 years ago, eventually becoming a trans healthcare provider in California. However, when her mother’s health starts to decline back in Mexico, she risks it all by petitioning for asylum as her only chance of seeing each other again before it’s too late. Alejandra’s story as an indigenous transgender woman on a lifelong question for a safe place to call home is told through a combination slice-of-life moments shot over the course of seven years with animated sequences based on Alejandra’s original artwork, resulting in a powerful documentary that doubly serves as an intimate portrait and a beacon of hope and community solidarity.
Director: Brenda Avila-Hanna
Producers: Kati Greaney, André Perez, Brenda Ávila-Hanna
United States, Mexico // 2025 // Documentary, Animation // LOLA Award Nominee - Los Features
60 minutes
About the Filmmaker
Brenda is a filmmaker and educator born and raised in Mexico City. Her films mostly focus on transnational stories, spaces and identities. Brenda is a recent Sundance Documentary Producers Lab Fellow and a Point Norths Fellow, a former BAVC and Rockwood/Just Films Fellow and was part of the inaugural cohort of DOC NYC’s “Documentary Industry New Leaders”. Brenda was recently a Producer of EMERGENT CITY (Dir. Kelly Anderson/Jay Sterrenberg -PBS/POV), which premiered at Tribeca 24’, and HOW TO CLEAN A HOUSE IN TEN EASY STEPS (Dir. Carolina Gonzalez) which premiered at T/F 26’ and received the True Life Award, as well as a co-producer for AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ (Dir. David Alvarado), winner of the Audience Award at Sundance 26’. Brenda is also professor at UCSC and a Board member of the Watsonville Film Festival. LIBERTAD is her feature directorial debut.
