“Bad bitch” is the phrase that Barbie has tattooed on the back of her legs, but it is not the only tattoo she has, on her arms she has several dolls that represent the subjectivity of beauty and transformation, the one that identifies her so much, since this transsexual diva continues struggling to find their place in the world and that is precisely the story that the documentary tells us Barbitch.
Starring Barbara Garcia, who everyone knows as Barbie, Barbitch Follow the steps of this woman, from the moment she decided to get breast implants until she left for Spain in search of a better future.Although she believes that in the first world she will not be discriminated against for being transgender, the truth is that when she arrives in Barcelona she faces a very different reality than she imagined.
Born in Cali, Colombia, Barbie knew from a very young age that she was different, even though she always had the support of her mother and most of her family, she grew up in a patriarchal environment, worked in the United States before she had yet made her transition and then began working as a webcam model in her hometown.
Barbie has always felt the gaze of judgement on her, whether it was because of her red hair, her tattoos, her clothes or simply because she is trans. In his desire to escape from that reality full of prejudices, he decides to go to the first world to look for new opportunities, a new life in which I can be free, but what does freedom really mean?
Upon arriving in the first world, Barbie realizes that things were not as she thought and she will have to face complex situations that will make her reflect on whether it was really worth it to leave her country and her family, and that for every step she takes, she has to give three back, all to try to find his place in the world.
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Through Barbie’s story, This documentary directed by Diego Fernando Cruz portrays the discrimination that transgender people have to endure. It is an intimate story that shows a journey of transformation and resilience. through the scars left by rejection.
Yes ok Barbitch It shows a story of struggle for empowerment and personal acceptance in a world that, although it promotes being more diverse, makes it clear that there is still much to do as a society to become more inclusive.
In this regard, he mentions Simon Acosta, documentary producer, “The LGBT community is a very important part of society, that is why it is important that characters like Barbie and directors like Diego continue telling these stories, to give them visibility and a voice.”
Although Barbitch It was a production that followed Barbie’s life for more than five years, and although she is a very interesting character, with many nuances, who also leaves many reflections, sometimes the documentary becomes slow, since at a narrative level after she arrives in Spain there are not many significant twists. However, It is a documentary that is worth watching, to understand what it means to be a trans person in our society.
Where to watch Barbitch?
The documentary can now be seen in various theaters around the country:
- Bogota: Bogota Cinematheque
- Cali: La Tertulia Museum Cinematheque
- Medellin: Museum of Modern Art – MAMM and Colombo Americano of Medellin
- Manizales: Cinespiral
- Valledupar: Marines Films
- Pereira: Cinema with Soul – Pereira Chamber of Commerce
- Barranquilla: Caribbean Cinematheque
About Diego Fernando Cruz
He studied literature at the Universidad del Valle. He has written and directed several short films, web series and music videos, some of which have premiered at festivals such as Bogoshorts and on channels such as Signal Colombia, Canal Capital and Telepacífico. His scripts have received recognition at national and international events such as Bolivialab, Cine Qua Non Lab, Lab Guion Cinefilia and Bam. He directed the feature-length documentary “Barbitch” and is currently developing his first fiction feature film, “The Last Romantics,” whose script received writing encouragement from the Fund for Cinematographic Development of Colombia (FDC). He is also working on his second feature-length documentary, “Marithea.”
