“Coming Out of the Closet”: a documentary will show the experience of coming out as homosexual in Peru

“Coming Out of the Closet” will be the first feature film to give voice to ten Peruvian gay men, who will narrate their experiences after guessing their gender identity. The film demonstrates the hard difficulties that are experienced due to institutionalized homophobia in our country. It also raises various issues that reflect on tolerance and respect for diversity.

“LGBTIQ+-themed Peruvian cinema is still very scarce. Not only referring to characters who represent sexual diversity, but to filmmakers (scriptwriters or directors) who openly identify themselves as members of the LGBTIQ+ community and can tell their own stories. The narratives of Peruvian cinema that reach movie screens still fit into the hegemonic and heteronormative”, comments Alberto Castro, responsible for other films of a similar nature such as “Invasión Drag”.

Through his work as a filmmaker, Castro wishes to be a spokesperson for the people queer, who lack opportunities to express themselves on the big screen in our country. During the documentary, the participants bear witness to how society has oppressed them to remain hidden. “Maybe the premiere of a movie will help many people to channel their own coming-out experiences and energize those who still don’t dare to do so.”, he declares.

“Cultural representation, even more so audiovisual (in film and television), is the one that continues to have the most power in societies, allowing those who are oppressed and marginalized to recognize themselves and feel less alone, in a country that turns its back on them, silences them and violent. Hopefully this documentary will also encourage the appearance of more diverse voices that are encouraged to make films and tell their own stories.”, ends.

on the tape

In the film, Alberto, after a painful breakup, discovers that he still has things to resolve related to his sexual orientation. To understand what it really means’come out of the closet’ In a conservative and homophobic society, he talks with a dozen homosexual men, of different ages and backgrounds, with whom he discovers that there is no correct or unique way to accept oneself.

The official trailer was published on Calla Cabro’s YouTube account, a podcast that the director is part of along with his three companions. The premiere in theaters in Lima will be this January 28 in the Sala Azul of the CCPUC and the Cineplanet San Miguel. In addition, the premiere in other provinces will be announced soon, opting for alternative circles such as independent rooms and other broadcast spaces.