The initiative, titled Abrazo al pasado (Embrace the Past), transforms an intimate conversation into a public narrative about the right to live, love, and remember without fear. This project is part of Maspalomas Pride week, which turns southern Gran Canaria into a hub for gathering and advocacy.
The documentary features an elderly LGTBI woman on a set illuminated with blue, pink, and violet tones, seated next to a vintage pink telephone that serves as a narrative symbol. Through this object, the piece takes an emotional journey through her life, addressing her childhood, renunciations, silences, and, finally, the freedom achieved.
Present-day images are interspersed with old photographs, family scenes, and moments of celebration, highlighting the contrast between a life shaped by social norms for decades and a current stage where the protagonist can express herself with pride. The video also mentions that she was married to a man for 40 years and later married her partner in 2019.
I don't want to be accepted, I want to be respected.
This statement encapsulates the spirit of the documentary, which focuses on rights and moves away from a purely sentimental approach. The proposal seeks to acknowledge the journey undertaken by those who grew up in an era where living with a sexual orientation or identity outside the norm could imply fear, concealment, or rejection.
The RTVE Canarias initiative underscores the importance of listening to older generations within the LGTBI community. Their testimonies are crucial for understanding that current advancements did not emerge from nothing, but are the result of lives marked by difficult decisions, daily resistance, and a constant search for respect and dignity.
