TORONTO — As a young transgender woman in Uganda, Cleopatra Kambugu found herself at risk simply for seeking to live life as her authentic self.
The East African country is notorious for anti-LGBTQ laws which criminalize same-sex relations. After Kambugu was outed by a tabloid, she went into hiding, relying on her family to bring food and supplies.
After leaving Uganda for Kenya with her partner, Nelson, the LGBTQ activist found new freedom through film.
"I felt this was my last hope to be able to give back to the community by being able to (use) my voice," Kambugu said in an interview for "The Pearl of Africa" which screened during the HotDocs Festival in Toronto.
"It was also safer because I wasn't in Uganda anymore. I was staying in Nairobi. So it was safer for me to proceed with the movie and to tell that story with my activism. I would say it strengthened my resolve."
Kambugu said she had long discussions with filmmaker Jonny von Wallstrom about ensuring there were "different layers and nuances" of how the story was told.
"I guess one thing that's never talked about is the apathy and the violence that men or women who date transgender people face. They're also part of the transitioning process."
In addition to reflecting the difficulties faced by the queer community, von Wallstrom said he also wanted to reflect the universality of Kambugu's experience.
"I think it's strange that this is only looked upon as a trans story. This is so much more than that.
"It is also about being black and it's also about being human and I think it plays several roles," he added, noting that the "universal love story" at the centre of the film also resonates.
"The Pearl of Africa" arrives on screens at a time where trans rights remain a prominent point of discussion and contention.
The Pentagon has announced transgender people will be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, battle lines continue to be drawn over bathrooms with protests over state law widely seen as discriminatory to LGBTQ people.
The law states that transgender people must use bathrooms corresponding with the gender on their birth certificate in government buildings as well as in public schools and universities.
In May, the Obama administration told public schools across the U.S. that transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
"We didn't know four years ago when we started that it would become such an important national topic. And it's really great to see all of a sudden it has become much more relevant," said Jessica Dimmock, co-director of "The Pearl," which also screened at the HotDocs Festival.
Dimmock and co-director Christopher LaMarca document the lives of four middle-aged to senior trans women in the Pacific Northwest.
Dimmock said they wanted to illuminate an intimate story that shied away from politics, and offered a glimpse into what it would be like to be one of the women profiled or one of their loved ones.
"People just relate to them because they're beautiful, awesome people."
Among the heart-wrenching scenes in "The Pearl," one involves Nina Borsch, who ventures into the woods to don women's clothing out in the open — yet in private.
"For a long time it was that way," she admitted.
"It was not ... like I was brave enough to be out in the public. It was a matter of (feeling) I had to satisfy this inner person called Nina who needed to be expressed outwardly as well as inwardly. So those moments of tranquility in private quiet places ... kind of helped me move on during the day, and settle this frustration."
"The Pearl" also shares the story of Amy Colbert, whose home becomes a safe space for other trans women.
"We look at it not as a crash pad but a launch pad," she said. "We called it the out house because you're supposed to go out, right? Not just go in and escape from the world but be a part of it."
The filmmakers followed Colbert to Thailand to document her sex reassignment surgery.
"They weren't looking for sensation; they were looking for soul.
"This is part of the journey. It's not the end of the journey, by any means. But it is part of the journey for many of us."
Borsch said she feels she's arrived at a time in her life that she's more confident in being able to live freely.
"Nowadays I am totally the woman you see with none of the fears of the past. It's a really comfortable place to be."
