Trans Memoria

“The film is a deeply personal story based on my experience of transitioning and the loss of Meril, my only friend sharing the trans experience. Through this story, I reflect on the events that unfolded, exploring their impact on me. Also incorporated are the Aamina’s and Athena’s perspectives, both at the beginning of transition. In some of the scenes we reenact situations Meril and I faced and which Aamina and Athena may also experience in their futures. Through this story, the three of us give a sincere account of our experience of transition, our future, and our womanhood.

The story moves fluidly between the past and the present, intertwining reconstructed memories, documentary footage, and secret video diaries from 2012, initially for my own personal reflection. Meril’s fragmented story remains a consistent presence, her absence felt throughout.

This film is a grieving process, a way to get closer to my memory of Meril. I tried to understand who we were and how it could end like this. It deals with existential questions of meaning and trans women’s relationship to mortality. It is about the physical changes one goes through during a transition, but also about the inner journey that is less tangible. It’s a movie made by and about trans people, aiming for an honest portrayal of our lives.”

Victoria Verseau