Directed by Kani Lapuerta,at the foot of Tepozteco, a sacred hill that governs the winds and fertility, lies the small town of Tepoztlán. Against this backdrop, fifteen-year-old Karla Bañuelos’ body and mind are undergoing a revolution.
What’s immediately fascinating about how Kani Lapuerta made Niñxs is that there’s such intimate and unending access to Karla Bañuelos’ life from an incredibly young age, that it almost feels like fiction. To have the forethought and permission from Karla’s parents to begin this story quite early in the transition process provides a sincerely in-depth portrayal of the experience. Even more so that the focus of Niñxs is never on the negative, it’s strongly and unwaveringly on what Karla wants, how she can achieve that and her feelings along the way.
The Trans community face so much negativity, hate and violence on a daily basis that it’s a refreshing change of pace to not let that permeate Niñxs. It’s absolutely vital to also tell those stories of hardship and the progress that needs to be made, but choosing to focus on the more everyday elements brings a youthful, very personal perspective to this documentary. Another refreshing element is undoubtedly Karla’s parents, who are artistic, caring and kind. It’s another factor that’s important to be represented, Trans people receiving support and consideration from their family because it’s so often not the case with inherent prejudice and closed-mindedness.
As Karla clearly comes from a creative household, that definitely feeds into the atmosphere of Niñxs. There’s an interesting balance between theatricality and honesty. Especially in how they bring through a narration of modern day Karla reflecting on her experiences, alongside Kani Lapuerta. It adds a certain conversational tone which elevates that personal quality even further. It has a huge energy and a lot of personality, there’s a genuine effort to match the style of the documentary to Karla’s personality and effervescence.
Niñxs captures an extremely personal journey in a way that’s intimate, thoughtful and creative. Kani Lapuerta makes such a wonderful effort to do justice to who Karla is, as well as her experiences. It may come across as overly light to some, as it doesn’t delve into the many negative and hateful obstacles which Trans people face but that feels like a purposeful choice given Karla’s youth. It’s sweet, filled with personality and provides such unfettered access over a very significant period of time, that it’s captivating to watch.
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