Karla is a dreamer, Karla is charismatic, and Karla is trans. She grows up with her parents in the small Mexican town of Tepoztlán. She loves to wear make-up and dress up. But sometimes, when the world is too much for her, she hides in her room for hours. Fortunately, Karla has friends and a family who support, often understand and sometimes challenge her.
Trans filmmaker Kani Lapuerta followed the daily life and transition of his protagonist over a period of eight years. The result is a colourful, playful and political coming-of-age story told from a trans perspective. Together, Karla and Kani create a cinematic space where their fantasy is as important as their identity – and where both flow into each other. The title of the film refers to a possible gender-neutral form of the Spanish term “niños” that also includes non-binary, trans and gender-fluid children. “Niñxs” is a touching, encouraging film about childhood, creativity and self-empowerment – and a compelling plea for a world in which everyone is simply allowed to be themselves.

Rosa lived and worked in Germany for more than three decades and used her hard-earned money to build a house at home, in southern Italy. It was originally intended as security for the whole family, but they stayed in Germany when Rosa moved there in the late 1990s. Ever since her husband died, she has been running a two-floor bed and breakfast there on her own which has seen better days. Her daily routines are marked by hardship and disappointment: The drudgery is not getting easier with age, cleaners are hard to find, the region is in decline. Rosa is in a bad mood, complains silently, and argues loudly with her brother who lives next door. The family are far away and connections are often poor. Only her regular trips to the nearby sea, which is beautiful even in winter, make her happy. What to do with a legacy that nobody wants?
“Nonna” is a tribute to his grandmother by her filmmaker grandson that captures people, places and times with precision and subtle humour, portraying a life journey between two homelands that did not work out as imagined.