As the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) continues its Painting the Spectrum 14 Film Festival, award-winning African film Tchindas will be one of the two screenings that explore lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) rights, culture and history.
On Tuesday at 6 pm the society will present Tchindas, a co-production between Cape Verde and Spain. According to a press release, the movie focuses on Tchinda, one of most beloved women in Cape Verde, especially after she came out as a transgender person in the local newspaper in 1998. Every February, the month leading up to the carnival, the slow-paced atmosphere of the island transforms into a frenzied hustle and bustle as thousands flock to the streets. Tchinda and other LGBT Cape Verdeans are, of course, part of the celebration. The documentary is a trip to an unknown side of Africa that very few may have ever imagined.
The release said that the Hollywood Reporter praised the film, writing it was “a beautifully shot vérité chronicle of the all-consuming carnival preparations on São Vicente.” Since its international premiere Tchindas received several awards at festivals such as the Outfest, the Chicago Reeling LGBT Film Festival, Miradas Doc, and Les Gai Cine Mad.
