In the Netherlands, an Indonesian trans woman has built a new life for herself. She spends her days playing badminton with her queer friends and running an Indonesian restaurant that she set up with her best friend in their own house. Her peaceful life is abruptly disrupted when her younger brother unexpectedly arrives from Indonesia to search for his brother Hans. She faces the heartbreaking decision of continuing to live in secret or revealing the truth about her identity to her brother. Although the truth could offer the possibility of reconciliation, it proves to be harder to share than she would have liked. The film CALL ME AGNES by Brazilian director Daniel Donato is a hybrid mix of documentary, fiction and musical, portraying the life of Agnes Geneva, an Indonesian trans woman living in the Netherlands. The film explores themes such as identity, family and the search for self-acceptance. The lead role is played by Agnes Geneva herself, who portrays a version of her own story, authentically capturing the complexity of her experiences. CALL ME AGNES celebrated its world premiere in September 2020 at the Netherlands Film Festival, where it was entered in the Gouden Kalf competition for feature films. It was then selected as the closing film at the Queer Lisboa Festival 2020. These recognitions underscore the importance and emotional impact of the film, which has moved both critics and audiences worldwide.
Keywords
- community
- family
- identity
- music
Actors
- Agnes Geneva
- Rini Mak
- Gianluca Koeswanto
- Fernando Belfiore
Director
- Daniel Donato
This docudrama about Agnes Geneva, an Indonesian trans woman living in the Netherlands, shows her search for self-acceptance.
In the Netherlands, an Indonesian trans woman has built a new life for herself. She spends her days playing badminton with her queer friends and running an Indonesian restaurant that she set up with her best friend in their own house. Her peaceful life is abruptly disrupted when her younger brother unexpectedly arrives from Indonesia to search for his brother Hans. She faces the heartbreaking decision of continuing to live in secret or revealing the truth about her identity to her brother. Although the truth could offer the possibility of reconciliation, it proves to be harder to share than she would have liked.
The film CALL ME AGNES by Brazilian director Daniel Donato is a hybrid mix of documentary, fiction and musical, portraying the life of Agnes Geneva, an Indonesian trans woman living in the Netherlands. The film explores themes such as identity, family and the search for self-acceptance. The lead role is played by Agnes Geneva herself, who portrays a version of her own story, authentically capturing the complexity of her experiences.
CALL ME AGNES celebrated its world premiere in September 2020 at the Netherlands Film Festival, where it was entered in the Gouden Kalf competition for feature films. It was then selected as the closing film at the Queer Lisboa Festival 2020. These recognitions underscore the importance and emotional impact of the film, which has moved both critics and audiences worldwide.