Life is a grand stage for theater–just as Aunt Juli lives hers. She sings, the fire of her life flares, she dances, the colors of her day are vibrant. Inevitably, silence settles in when the curtains close and the feet stop stomping. That was the case when Aunt Juli passed away.
DUST (Nicolás Torchinsky, 2023) is a biopic that remembers July Regina (formerly Julio Romero) as a man, a transgender artist, and a woman. In its 73-minute duration, director Torchinsky attempts to highlight how Aunt Juli’s close relatives, in their slow hand gestures, remove her belongings from the rooms and spaces that once belonged to her and smelled like her. Nothing. Aunt Juli is legendary, she is remembered and will long be remembered–from a homosexual man without parents, to a “dragon” incarnate in the form of a woman.
Leaving dust in its wake, Aunt Juli’s living spaces gradually fade. The objects packed in boxes and plastic were silent witnesses to Aunt Juli’s bustling life. One story after another is recited, from one relative’s mouth to another’s ear. Director Torchinsky delivers DUST (2023) in a quiet, somber tone. Aunt Juli’s existential transformation creates ripples in the water of life around her. Cigarette cases, faded photographs, party dresses, jewelry, beads, ceramics… Aunt Juli’s belongings seem to embody a scream.
Julio Romero and July Regina, at every step of their lives, presented their proof of life: their becoming as human beings and as women. Aunt Juli is all of us–born from the dust, made her mark on the grand stage as a queen, and then returned to ashes. Through the noises and whispers of relatives, listen to the recreation of Aunt Juli’s life echo in International Feature-Length Competition FFD 2024. (Athallah, Tuffahati) (Ed. Vanis) (Trans. Naufal Shabri)
Film Details
DUST (El Polvo)
Nicolás Torchinsky | 73 Min | 2023 | Argentina
In Competition for International Feature-Length
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 06 | 13:00 WIB | IFI-LIP
