Rafi has been transitioning in Madrid for 10 months now. It has been even longer since he has been able to enjoy his favorite activity: swimming in the sea. His dysphoria, the feeling of being in a body that does not match his identity, causes him deep sorrow. With the help of his best friend Carolina, Rafi will embark on a journey to say goodbye to Raffaela, his former self, before he can fully embrace his true identity. On a deserted and wild beach, they perform a farewell ritual to “bury” Raffaela, confront his dysphoria, and swim in the sea.
Ciao, Bambina is an intimate documentary that takes the viewer on a journey that continuously shifts from the cinematic plane to the film set, with overlapping shots, flashbacks, different video formats… and narrators representing the various critical voices that inhabit Rafi’s mind. There is a third omnipresent character: Raffaela, who existed before the transition began, to whom the directors will pay tribute. The chosen settings, from an endless road to a desolate desert and finally the beach, symbolize the stages of transition.
The documentary emphasizes the idea of transition as rebirth, a process of deconstruction. But, even though Rafi is the one facing his reflection in the mirror alone, Carolina is there to remind him that he is already a man. The film aims to convey to trans people that they are not alone and intends to show the audience what transition truly means, beyond established identities and social norms. Ciao, Bambina is a film but also a hug of containment and freedom to focus on what transition really means beyond identities and social norms. It is a tribute to what we were and are no longer, to that body that was once a prison.
Año: 2023
Directors: Afioco Gnecco, Carolina Yuste
Producer: Carlo D’Ursi
DOP: Samuel Rojo
Editor: Ana Bustamante
Afioco Gnecco
Carolina Yuste
♣ Short Films Official Selection at Málaga Film Festival 2024
