Why is this film important?

Trans people, especially those of colour, continue to face disproportionate amounts of violence and discrimination all over the world, including Finland. Trans women of colour are in a clear minority when it comes to public visibility and are especially vulnerable, falling victim to transphobic hate crimes considerably more often than their white or male counterparts. They go through everyday life at the intersection of many different oppressive structures, as they are subjected to transphobia, racism and misogyny in addition to other forms of discrimination and alienation. The threat of violence, the difficulty of finding work, the lack of representation and supportive communities means that the need for works that include positive role models is immense, as is the urgency for change of societal attitudes.

There is a vital need for more visibility of trans people. It is essential and important to make space in the media for trans people of colour and to push against dangerous and stereotypical depictions of trans identities. Through the story of one individual's life, Kelet seeks to highlight a number of societal issues that are of huge importance worldwide in the current political climate: LGBT and especially trans rights, racism, beauty standards and gendered norms in society.

Kelet – Impact Campaign

The Kelet - Impact Campaign will happen alongside the film and raise awareness about related issues, e.g. trans rights in Finland, racism, and minorities in minorities. Our partners are Amnesty International Finland, Helsinki Pride, and Trasek ry.

We will follow and support the implementation of the new Trans Law proposed by the Finnish government - this would be an improvement to the current trans law which still includes forced sterilisation and thus violates international human rights law.

Our goal is also to influence attitudes. As a Black trans person growing up in Finland, Kelet didn’t have any role models. That’s why she decided it’s time to show this is how we live - you live too! Peer support and sharing experiences is an important part of our impact campaign.

Our Partners

Impact screenings

Together with Amnesty Finland we are organising Kelet screenings in four different Finnish towns. The screening is accompanied by a discussion afterwards, where the stars of the film Kelet and Lola together with director Susani Mahadura and Amnesty’s human rights experts talk about the importance of representation, an alternative concept of family, life at the intersection of oppressive norms and the new Trans Law in Finland.

LAHTI - 19.02.2020
KUOPIO - 01.09.2020

Impact podcast

We’re proud to announce our brand new podcast called Kelet, Lola & Ofimja (KLO). The marvellous trio will be throwing light on the everyday life of trans people. They will discuss topics such as dating as a trans person, transphobia in the LGBTQ community, or whether public spaces are safe for trans people. Listen and learn.
The podcast is in Finnish.