The documentary Crossing Over
looks at the lives of 3 transgender Mexican women as they seek
political asylum in the United States to escape transphobia in their
homeland.
Francis Murillo, Brenda Gonzalez and
Abigail Madariaga fled Mexico and are now living in Los Angeles to
escape the stigma, discrimination and persecution associated with
being transgender in the highly Catholic nation.
“There were various abuses,”
Gonzalez says in the film. “They would tie me from my hands and
feet to rape me, to abuse me.” (The video is embedded on this
page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
The documentary is the first for
director Isabel Castro, a Mexican immigrant who recently graduated
from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
“I have always been passionate about
immigration issues and about highlighting the reasons for why
immigration is often necessary,” Castro told On Top Magazine
in an e-mail. “In exploring this issue, I learned more about the
extent of transphobia in Mexico and in the United States and have now
become focused on shedding light on the obstacles that the
transgender community faces.”
She said she expects to finish the film
in January and premiere it on next year's festival circuit.
Castro has also launched a campaign to
raise funds to cover post-production costs at IndieGogo.