1. How did you learn about Mickey’s story, and what made you feel it was necessary to turn it into a film?

I met Mickey when she was 11 and I was 14; we attended the same Catholic school in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Even at a young age, she began wearing makeup, which scandalized the priests. In Sinaloa, the average age for coming out is 30, so her boldness was striking. Later, while living in Mexico City, we moved in together and began editing videos from her childhood. This film has been deeply personal for me because, over the course of the 10-year shoot, I was able to come out as a trans person myself. Mickey is a truly free spirit, and that freedom is contagious. Her story is deeply inspiring.

2. Financing independent films can be a challenge. How did you manage to fund the project?

Completing this documentary took ten years and was a significant undertaking. Much of the development and research was independently funded. However, thanks to the support of the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and FOPROCINE (IMCINE), we were able to finance the production stage. Later, receiving three awards from IMPULSO Morelia (FICM) provided the resources we needed to finally finish the film.

3. At what point did you decide to incorporate special effects and experimental techniques, and what do those elements add to the film’s language?

In a conservative environment like Sinaloa, social media often becomes a refuge for those hesitant to come out, which is why using a video game avatar became such a vital resource in the film. Similarly, we used «glitches» to permeate the footage as we revisited the past. Memory isn’t a linear process, and we wanted to reflect that using every tool available: webcams, cell phone videos, security cameras, and 360° cameras. The visual language evolves alongside the narrative; I call this «Trans Cinema»—the possibility of rediscovering the image on the margins of change, where things remain beautifully undefined.

4. Tell us about your creative team. Were there any Mexican collaborators involved in shaping the project?

Yes, our entire team is Mexican and consists of long-time friends. Tonatiuh Israel, the film’s editor and co-writer, has been a friend since high school. My producers are Indira Cato, Joceline Hernández, and Alejandra Guevara, and Christian Giraud served as our sound designer and co-producer. For the soundtrack, we collaborated with incredible trans artists like Luisa Almaguer, Isa Flores, and América Fendi, as well as artists like Jessy Bulbo, Malora, and Michel López’s band from Mocorito. The original score was composed by Pablo Horn.

5. What was the experience of filming in Sinaloa like, especially considering the social and cultural context of the region?

It was important for me to capture the contradictions of the Mazatlán Carnival, a place of vibrant celebration that simultaneously harbors deep-seated homophobia and transphobia. We specifically looked at the gay carnival queen pageant that runs parallel to the main parade. The real strength lies in how the trans community celebrates in the face of violence. Filming resilience is a way of reclaiming something that belongs to us—something often restricted or rendered «impossible» by our circumstances.