Culture Cinema & Tv

A Fantastic Woman, Sebastián Lelio interview: “It’s a gender-fluid film”

A Fantastic Woman, Sebastián Lelio interview: “It’s a gender-fluid film”
Avatar photo
Avatar
Shot by Filippo L'Astorina
Euan Franklin Shot by Filippo L'Astorina

The attitudes to LGBT groups have rapidly shifted in the last few years. As well as Moonlight winning Best Picture at last year’s Oscars, we’ve been treated with so many LGBT stories – especially on television, where Transparent and Orange Is the New Black have explored transgender issues. A Fantastic Woman is the latest in the progressive canon, exploring the prejudice towards transgender people.

Marina (Daniela Vega) is a happy, transgender woman in a relationship with Orlando (Francisco Reyes), a much older man. But when Orlando suddenly dies of an aneurysm, she has to face all of his conservative family members. She struggles to find anyone who doesn’t immediately alienate her.  

The Upcoming was delighted to interview writer-director Sebastián Lelio about A Fantastic Woman. We discussed the challenges of writing the script, the use of dreamy surrealism within a social-realist drama, and the film’s Oscar nomination.

Euan Franklin
Video: Filippo L’Astorina/Marta Starczynowska

A Fantastic Woman is released nationwide on 2nd March 2018. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for A Fantastic Woman here:

More in Cinema & Tv

Secret rooftop cinema brings cosy Christmas film nights and seasonal dining to Holmes Hotel in Marylebone

Food & Travel Desk

Wild Cherry: On the red carpet with Nicôle Lecky, Imogen Faires and Amelia May

Ezelle Alblas

In Your Dreams

Andrew Murray

The Running Man

Christopher Connor

Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth

Antonia Georgiou

Trespasses

Antonia Georgiou

“It’s got a beautiful tone to it”: Gillian Anderson, Lola Petticrew, Tom Cullen, Louise Kennedy and Ailbhe Keogan on Trespasses

Antonia Georgiou

The Choral

Sunny Morgan

Die My Love

Christina Yang