Interview with Claire Slingerland

Monika: Today I would like to present to you Claire Slingerland, a Dutch filmmaker from Almere, the Netherlands, the director of the documentary "De Oversteek'' (The Step) and owner of film production company Blits Motion, as well as a proud transgender woman. Hello Claire!

Claire: Hello Monika! Thank you for inviting me.

Monika: You seem to be a woman of many talents. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Claire: Yes, I can. I'm a sixty years old woman from the Netherlands. I'm married to my wonderful wife and together we have two grown-up kids. With my team at Blits Motion we make movies for companies. And I'm associated with a foundation wherefore I make documentaries about inclusive and diversity subjects.

I'm now preparing a documentary to pay attention to 1000 to 2000 homeless LGBT young people in my country. They became homeless because they were not accepted by their parents. I want to make people aware of this problem because most people have no idea this is happening in our country. And I want to explore whether there is room within the parents' beliefs to accept their child.

Interview with Alison Ashdown

Monika: Today I am going to talk to Alison Ashdown, an inspirational transgender woman from Toronto, Canada. Alison is a fashion model, actress, film writer/director, and transactivist. Her artistic short film “Forever Changed” was produced and released online in 2020. Hello Alison!

Alison: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me!

Monika: You are a woman of many talents. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alison: Yeah certainly! Let’s see. Well, I love to try new things when I get that passionate interest peaking. It’s how I ended up in modeling, film, fashion studies, and ballet. One day, I asked my friend to do a photoshoot with me and that blossomed into a dream come true with modeling. I’ve been published four times and participated in several runway events.

In fact, at the end of my first year in 2019, I was chosen to walk the runway in Los Angeles for the Equality Fashion Week. Had the time of my life! And with the confidence I gained in front of the camera and on stage, I moved to try my hand at writing a film and subsequently acting and directing it as well. And since then, I moved to Toronto to study fashion management at George Brown College and recreationally train in the Royal Academy of Dance classical ballet program.

Interview with Cameron Laventure

Monika: Today I would like to invite you for a meeting with a talented woman who writes and directs her own movies. Cameron Laventure is an independent filmmaker and writer wi­th an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Hello Cameron!

Cameron: Hi, Monika! Thanks for speaking with me today.

Monika: How are you holding up in the pandemic times?

Cameron: Quarantine has been hard, but I’ve been luckier than most. My brother Brandon and I co-write and co-direct all our projects, and fortunately, we’ve been able to shelter at home, building a writing portfolio while we search for paid screenwriting work.

It breaks my heart that so many people in my country, including relatives and dear friends, aren’t so lucky. So many of us are exposed to senseless risk because our government won’t just pay us to stay home. I carry a lot of anger over that. I try to channel it into my art, and into activism when I can.

Interview with Victoria Divine

Victoria Divine is an Argentinian film director, producer, and performer whose life and work have been shaped by an unending desire to evolve. She grew up in Buenos Aires in the 1970s, where she first explored her gender identity and discovered a fascination with the trans women who would become her earliest role models. Her creative journey has taken her from Argentina’s vibrant nightlife scene, where she thrived as a drag queen, model, TV presenter, and DJ, to the international film world, where she now focuses on telling powerful stories about remarkable individuals. Victoria’s documentaries capture the lives of women who inspire her, women whose voices have often been overlooked or dismissed, and she approaches each story with a deep belief in equality, visibility, and the transformative force of femininity. Her work is grounded in activism and guided by a conviction that cinema can disrupt old narratives and challenge the privileges that shape our societies.

 

She carries with her a bold artistic voice shaped by years of performance, observation, and emotional honesty. Her curiosity about human nature is matched by a strong sense of social responsibility, which is visible in every project she embraces. Many people find her presence unforgettable because she blends artistic vision with a sincere commitment to justice and representation. Having lived in both Argentina and the United Kingdom, Victoria has gained a unique understanding of how culture shapes the experiences of transgender people and she speaks openly about the contrasts she has witnessed. Whether she discusses her academic research on transgender representation in Argentine cinema or the personal journey that led her to embrace her own femininity, she brings a sense of depth, clarity, and courage to every conversation. It is my pleasure to welcome this extraordinary artist to the interview.

Interview with Michelle Ann Farrell

Michelle Ann Farrell is an accomplished American independent filmmaker whose career reflects both creative versatility and personal resilience. She is best known for her work as Director of Photography (DP) on 17 feature films, including Safehouse (2008), Bigfoot at Holler Creek Canyon (2006), and On Top (2012). Her portfolio also includes writing, producing, and selling scripts, establishing her as a multifaceted professional in the film industry. Farrell's journey into filmmaking began at the age of 40 with her debut project, Franky's Heaven. Prior to this, she managed a wedding video business, which provided her with technical experience and equipment that she later utilized to transition into full-time film production. Notably, in 2004, she served as DP on JuJu and worked in the electrical department on The Derby Stallion, featuring Zac Efron, Bill Cobbs, and Billy Preston. 

 

In 2005, Farrell expanded her repertoire by participating in projects such as Smalltimore, Law & Disorder, Gray Matters, and the documentary Unraveling Michelle. The latter is a deeply personal and award-winning film that chronicles her own transition. Through this documentary, Farrell aims to challenge ignorance and prejudice, using her personal narrative as a form of activism. Farrell identifies as a filmmaker who happens to be transgender, emphasizing that her gender identity does not define her artistry. She is currently developing a new feature film titled Potato Girl, which features a predominantly transgender team, including DP Rachel Dunn, investor Mara Drummond, and actress Ashley Sky. Farrell views this project as a testament to the presence and pride of transgender individuals in the film industry. While not actively involved in politics, Farrell considers her work, particularly Unraveling Michelle, as a form of political expression. She advocates for visibility and acceptance of transgender individuals, believing in the transformative power of love and creativity, asserting that embracing one's true self is essential for personal fulfillment and societal progress.

Interview with Living Smile Vidya

Living Smile Vidya, lovingly known as Smiley, is a groundbreaking artist, writer, and activist whose journey has reshaped the cultural and political imagination of India. Born into the Arunthatiyar caste and raised in Chennai, Smiley grew up with the quiet defiance of a girl who knew who she was, even when the world insisted otherwise. Her early years were shaped by both caste oppression and gender invisibility, and yet she emerged with a voice that would refuse silence. She describes herself as “a woman in my heart,” and her life has been a testament to that deep, unwavering truth. Smiley's mother worked as a street cleaner and domestic laborer, and while society extended Smiley a boy’s education by mistake, she used that opportunity to forge a different future, not just for herself, but for many like her. With a master’s degree in applied linguistics and a passion for the stage, Smiley gravitated toward theatre while at university, drawn to its power for transformation and truth-telling. After undergoing gender affirmation surgery and spending two years working in rural banking, she turned fully toward the arts, becoming India’s first full-time trans theatre actress. 

 

Her performances, raw, daring, and deeply personal, earned her recognition not just for her talent, but for the courage with which she told her story. From short films and documentaries to clowning and dance, Smiley explored every form of expression that let her body speak her truth. In 2013, she was awarded a scholarship by the Charles Wallace India Trust and trained at the London International School of Performing Arts, an experience that would ignite her dream of building collectives. The following year, she co-founded the Panmai theatre troupe alongside fellow trans artists, creating a space where marginalized voices could take center stage, literally. Smiley’s activism is inseparable from her art. Fiercely committed to both Dalit and transgender rights, she has challenged dominant narratives, refused erasure, and demanded representation that honors the intersectional realities of caste and gender. Her autobiography, I Am Vidya, has been translated into seven languages and inspired an award-winning film, offering an intimate glimpse into the strength and tenderness of a woman who chose visibility in a world that tried to keep her invisible.