“A Fantastic Woman,” (2017) March 11, 2018 (2017), theater, Chilean, in Spanish with subtitles, Best Foreign Language Oscar, 2017. Sebastian Lelio’s film stars Daniela Vega (a trans-woman brought in as a consultant who was then asked to do the role) as Marina, a trans-woman waitress, cabaret singer, and classical lyricist, whose older partner, Orlando, suddenly dies. He had divorced his wife and left his family, it appears, after meeting Marina and becoming smitten with her Or perhaps they met after the split In any event, except for his brother, Gabo, the family is relentlessly hostile to the point of violence, excluding her from all funereal events She is barred from publicly grieving but she is also loath to open up to others about her grief She is, furthermore, dealing with a unsympathetic and judgmental legal system in the person of an arrogant policewoman Distrusted, abused, viewed by some as a freak and monster, how is she to move forward? She is walled off and trusts almost no one, including those who seem supportive, although this is undoubtedly stems from prior experiences How do you mourn when you’re not able to share your loss?. There’s an interesting moment of maleness on her part at a bathhouse where she must use the sex she rejects to discover something she hopes will help her find a measure of closure The film has lots of silences and ghostly visions, but it’s also rich in exploring society’s refusal to accept someone like Marina who challenges basic gender/sex roles and identity It’s also interesting in exploring her own strengths, pain, and confusion in coping with her loss and grief on her own.