2023-06-28 02:02:41
“Be a across the body in Brazil, survive the age of 35 and live on art it is a radical, insurgent, poetic and profoundly transformative act. Of course we are proud of that. Wouldn’t you have?”
The speech is by Daniel Veiga, screenwriter, playwright, actor and professor at the International Film Academy (AIC) in the Technical Course – Filmworks,
In this LGBTQIAP+ Pride Day we interviewed Daniel Veiga, an artist who conquered his space in the Brazilian audiovisual market. His audiovisual journey began as a teenager in the school theater, but it was only in 2009 that he decided to give up his corporate career and dedicate himself exclusively to the arts.
Daniel has participation in the sitcom development room for producer Forestwhich is a living room Black Narratives for the Paramount e no Creative Collaborationan initiative of the AFAR Ventures in partnership with NETFLIX.
As an actor, he has accumulated more than 20 years of experience and was awarded the KIKITO (Gramado Film Festival), the Araibu (Jaguaribe Valley Film Festival) and the North Wind Trophy. In addition to participating in the series 3% do Netflix e LOV3 and Amazon.
He is also one of the co-founders of CATS – Collective of Transmasculine Artists, which seeks to promote the representation and employability of transmasculine artists in various forms of expression.
How do you feel that the audiovisual market treats trans bodies?
I see that the theme of gender and trans narratives has been gaining space, especially in fiction. I also believe that, in terms of fiction, these narratives are starting to evolve and become more natural and fluid.
But this movement still happens very slowly, always thanks to the tremendous work that we, trans artists, have committed. We still face many conflicts and fallacies, such as accusations that we are censors or productions that insist on hijacking our narratives, ignoring us in the process of making the work.
There is great resistance and I feel that we still haven’t been able to make cisgender people understand that our agenda and our demands are not only artistic, but also political and economic.
Daniel in the film “Monstro” by Diogo Leite. Credit: Films of Lies
Is it possible to see this same movement in the hiring of professionals to compose the teams?
There are still very few trans professionals circulating in these spaces, even less in decision-making places. And that’s because I’m talking about São Paulo, which is where things happen. In the middle of 2023, Brazil has only 1 trans screenwriter and I can count on my fingers how many trans male screenwriters we are.
If we talk about intersectionalities like transgenderism and race, the statistics are even more dire. And that doesn’t mean these artists don’t exist. These artists are simply ignored. Not to mention the potential talents that are not even discovered due to all the violence involving trans lives.
We are a population whose teenagers, for the most part, are kicked out of their homes at the age of 14. We are a population with 82% of school dropouts before high school. Our life expectancy remains at 35 years and Brazil still leads the ranking of murders of trans people. As I consider pedagogical art and revolutionary entertainment, it is urgent that cisgenderism assumes its share of responsibility in this cruel chain and allies itself with transgenderism, bringing more and more transgender artists to work with them and tell their stories through their own bodies with work , fee, awards, recognition and so on. Only by assuming the protagonism of our narratives will we show the world who we really are – and who we are.
What is your view on cis actors playing a trans character?
When I see a cis artist, for example, give up a trans role and avoid the practice of transfake – when a cis actor plays a trans character – it is much more to avoid a potential cancellation than out of awareness of the real meaning of how harmful this is. practice is, not only for trans artists, but also for trans audiences on the other side of the screen. Furthermore, ensuring that trans actors and actresses portray trans characters is only a small part of the fight. The fight is for trans artists to be EVERYWHERE, including creative, decision-making, and even those roles whose gender nature doesn’t matter (I myself have only played characters where it doesn’t matter if they’re cis men or trans men). Therefore, we need to take the place of screenwriters, directors, photographers, executive producers, etc.
What is it like to be in the classroom as a teacher?
I certainly have the sharpest and most trained eye to understand the demands and discussions of trans students, because this is my experience, this is my body. And I also properly discuss the audiovisual production that has the LGBTQIAP+ population – especially the trans population – as a theme and/or as a director, not because I am trans, but because this has been my field of study for some years now. The thing is: I’m completely passionate about teaching because I really believe in exchange. I consider myself less a teacher and more an artist with some experience who likes to exchange with other artists with some experience. It is neither a lie nor demagoguery when I declare that I always learn when I teach. I’ve been in front of classrooms since 2019 and have always been greatly respected. Also, I love what I do and I think that everyone can see it.
Daniel is awarded the KIKITO trophy
Do you consider it important for trans people to share their realities to expand this dialogue, or is it a particular characteristic of yours that is related to your artistic work?
I’m a dialogue person, first and foremost. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t teach, especially dramaturgy. Understanding that everyone has their time and as long as their life is not at risk, I think it is extremely important that trans artists assume and reinforce their identity and political position whenever they can. More than that, I think it’s strategic.
Every artist who assumes they are trans is another trans person seen on screen in everyday life. Nowadays, you get home from work, go prepare dinner while letting the seven o’clock soap opera roll and BAM! There is a beautiful and talented trans and black body there [em referência a Alan Oliveira na novela Vai Na Fé!]. You put a movie or a series on Streaming and it has a sexy and engaging story, a cool thriller, a romantic comedy or a scary horror and they are all starring real trans bodies, made by openly trans artists.
And so, our bodies become naturalized between Kikitos and Oscars, between blockbusters and art films. And we, increasingly proud to say who we are because, yes, that is a reason to be proud.
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