Damián is a transgender Mexican-American filmmaker born in El Paso, Texas. He graduated from Vassar College in 2020 with a Film and Psychology Double Major.
Director Statement
I finally accepted that I was a transgender the senior year of college. I was confused as to
what this meant, and how this would affect my relationships. Would this result in those around me to be pushed away? How can I ask for support during this transition? And most importantly, how will this affect the relationship with my partner? I resolved to deal with my building fears and anxieties by creating a film about just that -a transgender man coming out to his partner. To me, communication in relationships are like dances – sometimes they are in sync, and they click, but other times you stumble and fall on each other. Dances can show love, fear, hesitation, acceptance and more. Since my theme revolved around the changes in bodies and communication in a relationship, I knew animation would be the perfect way to showcase it. This film is rough around the edges, the dancers are at times detailed, but other times skeletal, they change sizes and gender. This was done purposely, as queerness, and gender, aren’t rigid but instead complex and at times, confusing. I hope this film can serve as a reminder that we all deserve love, respect and support – especially my transgender brothers, sisters and siblings.
LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival 