Documentary sheds light on Ugandan transgender issues

A full-length documentary, The Pearl of Africa, is showing the masses what it is like to be a transgender person living in Uganda.

The film follows the life of Cleopatra Kambugu, a 27 year old Ugandan trans woman and her fiancé, Nelson. Cleopatra Kambugu fled to Kenya after having been ”outed” as a homosexual on the front page of Red Paper, one of Uganda’s major tabloids. Forcing her to live behind closed gate for over a month and within a week, she lost her job and the relationship with several family members.

Today Cleo and her boyfriend lives in Nairobi, their move have given them the opportunity to live more freely. But she still have to be careful to avoid her surroundings noticing her gender identity. Cleo wants to share her story to the world in a documentary.

The project began as a web series in late 2014. At the time, the filmmakers launched an indiegogo campaign to raise funds for Cleo’s sex reassignment surgery. The campaign was successful–in February 2015, they raised $14,000–and the couple traveled to Thailand for Cleo’s surgery. The full-length documentary continues to follow Cleo and Nelson after the surgery.

In the film, viewers get to follow Cleopatra as she questions gender expression and identity, reshape attitudes and uncover the realities of a people whose existence has been shrouded in myth and prejudice. Director Jonny Von Wallström takes us inside the couples fight for love and acceptance in one of the most transphobic countries in the world.

Check out the first trailer!