In the lexicon of modern culture wars, few phrases attract as much derision from social conservatives as “pregnant people”. To them, only “women” can give birth. In response, I invite them to watch the documentary Apolo, which will have its B.C. premiere on Thursday (September 17) at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.
The film opens with Ísis Broken, a transwoman, lying in bed rubbing the very pregnant belly of her transman lover, Lourenzo Gabriel. With his male bearing and male gender identification and expression, Lourenzo clearly fits the description of being a pregnant person, not a pregnant woman. And he’s excited about the prospects of giving birth to a son, who will be named Apolo.
“He’s going to say, ‘Mommy, hi!’ He already recognizes his mom’s voice,” Lourenzo says in Portuguese. “He’s being a troublemaker today. Kid! What a riot!”
Tainá Müller and Isis co-directed this intimate family story about a Brazilian trans couple dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. Early in the documentary, the film is described as a gift to Apolo from Mom and Dad. They’re sharing the story of how the boy came into the world and how he was born of love.
But this pregnancy didn’t come without some monumental challenges. Lourenzo encounters intense transphobia when he seeks medical care in the northeastern state of Sergpipe. As a result, the couple move 2,000 kilometres south to Sao Paolo, which means there is less family support for them. Thankfully, they finally find the care that they need from Dr. Emmanuel Nasser.
Watch the trailer for Apolo.
Apolo challenges cisnormative thinking
At one point, Lourenzo shares what it’s like to feel Apolo kicking inside his belly. Isis then confesses that she would like to experience these feelings herself. It’s a touching and memorable scene.
They also recall in the most vivid terms what it was like for them as trans children. For Lourenzo, it was especially painful and difficult, given his father’s opposition to having a trans child. Isis, on the other hand, grew up with a supportive mom. The many facets of trans experiences come alive.
Apolo was honoured as Best Documentary at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, no doubt because of its deep humanity and grace.
Perhaps most importantly, Apolo challenges conventional, cisnormative thinking around pregnancy. Furthermore, it demonstrates how cisnormative prejudice can elevate the likelihood of devastating health outcomes.
So how does a transman with facial hair become pregnant? The film addresses this question head-on. First off, doctors recommend that transmen stop taking hormones for six months if they want to conceive. As a result of Lourenzo doing this, he lost his beard as his facial features and body softened.
“My body was designed to create life,” Lourenzo declares, “and this is necessary.”
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival will present Apolo as its Centrepiece Presentation at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (September 17) at the Reliance Theatre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. For tickets and more information, visit the festival website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Instagram @PancouverMedia.
