«Photography, thanks to its immediacy, is a powerful tool through which we can observe the contemporary era, its continuous changes and transformations, highlighting the different declinations of this process: interior, political, generational, social, sexual». To affirm it is Anna Catalanofounder and director of Photography Calabria Festival which, from 21 July to 20 August, in the suggestive villages of Fiumefreddo Bruzio and San Lucido, will explore the theme of change through the shots of socially engaged photographers, among which the project stands out Cora’s Courage, the story of the gender transition of a Spanish girl, curated by the Argentine photographer Gabo Caruso who we interviewed.
How did the idea for this project come about?
«I come from a LGBTQIA+ family, stories of diversity have always marked my existence. Used to being surrounded by “different” adults, I also felt the need to document the gender transition that started in childhood».
It’s not simple, how did she manage to focus her lens on little Cora?
«In 2018, I moved to Barcelona, I didn’t know anyone. I had no contacts, but I wanted to tell the story of a minor transgender person. I knew it would be difficult because children are protected by image rights and families are afraid of being exposed to judgment and violence if their children are photographed. So, I tracked down an association of families of transgender children and asked for a meeting to illustrate my project. After a few weeks, I was contacted by the family of Cora, a 7-year-old girl who had completed her social transition two years earlier. I didn’t know if I could just take a picture of her, but empathy was immediately created and, shortly after, we met again to start our visual journey».
What struck you the most?
«First of all the power of her story: when we talk about the Lgbtqia+ community we usually think of adults, instead Cora was the first case of a transgender girl in Spain. She is so small she has revolutionized every area of her life, from family to school and friends. All vital universes that, historically, tend to exclude trans people. With her constant search for happiness, she represents the positive story I was looking for, certainly not to deny that difficult realities exist, but to overcome the cliché of isolation and suffering. Logically, in Cora’s path to emancipation, her parents play a fundamental role ».
In what family and social context did you find yourself working?
“Cora’s family had no prior knowledge of diversity and the LGBTQIA+ community. She had to completely deconstruct herself to accompany her daughter in this transitional path. I came across a simple family who, admitting ignorance on the subject, chose the path of respect. Even the grandmother, although at first it was difficult to call her granddaughter by her new name, chose to support her. Even at school, everything was new for the teachers, they had never had such a young transgender student, but even in that context I immediately perceived a willingness to listen and understand».
Example of great courage. Hence the title Cora’s Courage?
«Exactly, Cora-Courage is not a simple play on words, the title of my project encapsulates the strength I perceived in this little girl and her community. A great example that has encouraged other families to accept their children’s identity, to accompany their gender transition. When we started explaining the project, several parents turned to the association trusting that, through our story, they were starting to understand their children».
Through her photographic art she has managed to transform Cora’s diversity into a shared uniqueness.
«From the outset I felt it was essential to tell Cora’s daily life honestly, illustrating that magical universe that is childhood, where everything is a discovery. I didn’t want to make a report focused only on her gender identity, but on the beauty of being what we really feel, demonstrating that happiness is not the exclusive property of cisgender people”.
How is the exhibition composed?
«It is an intimate exhibition that tells his reality, vital universes such as family, school, friendships, sport. Cora does not feel any shame for her past, she is proud of her journey, so much so that archive photos dating back to before the transition are also part of the project, such as the one that portrays her dressed as a mermaid in the swimming pool, which has become the symbolic image of the Photography Calabria Festival. A significant peculiarity lies in her choice to write the captions of the photos in the first person. For me it was very important that she herself was the one to tell about her invisible but legitimate childhood of hers ».
Now Cora is 12 years old, but the project is evolving. Will she continue to tell about her adolescence?
«Definitely, I’m interested in documenting his growth, his relationship with his mother who is very ill, the arrival of his first loves and first disappointments. Adolescence is a somewhat complex phase of life for everyone, I want to take her by the hand in this moment which will project her into a less secure environment than her family, where she will find herself fighting between hard-won rights and inevitable prejudices against LGBTQIA+ community.
In the long road ahead, even artistic expression proves to be increasingly helpful in protecting the rights of transgender people and in breaking down prejudices.
«Without a doubt, photography is a powerful awareness tool, it has a wide range of action. Of course, you have to know how to use it correctly. By putting Cora’s ethics and dignity first, I have been able to build a sincere and honest bond, embarking on a journey together that raises very deep questions about the meaning of freedom. I remember when I first met Cora at her home, I saw a notebook in which her mother had jotted down a question her daughter had asked her when she was 3 years old. “Mom, when I’m a girl, will the whole world know me?” In my small way, I want to carry on this photographic project to allow everyone to get to know Cora, especially her authenticity ».
Source: Vanity Fair

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