Over the course of eight years, the director follows Karla, a trans youth, in the small Mexican town of Tepoztlán. The camera bears witness to Karla’s development, from the first steps of Karla’s transition through to adulthood. In an environment where traditional values and the reality of a queer identity repeatedly clash, Karla and the filmmaker find common ground in conversations marked by openness, empathy, and mutual trust. This gives rise to intimate portraits of their friendship, as well as authentic insights into Karla’s hopes, doubts, and her search for acceptance.

The film delves deeply into the everyday challenges and joys of life as a trans teenager in a rural setting, from family relationships and friendships to societal expectations. At the same time, Kani Lapuerta opens up a cinematic world in which documentary observations and imaginative sequences intertwine, blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.

NIÑXS is a life-affirming, courageous story about self-determination, belonging, and the strength to forge one’s own path.

With: La Pureza

Program in partnership with Queertreff Ottensen, Queertreff Wilhelmsburg, and B-You.