A Place on the Edge of Breath

I was drawn to Lio’s and Ava’s story, because it was very clear to me from our first meetings, that they are two incredible humans, who aren’t afraid to be their most authentic selves in a world that is designed to put people in categories and judge them accordingly. I think as a society, we can all benefit from shifting our collective paradigm, away from defining people by what they are, towards who they are and what they do. 

I’m from a time and place where ideas about gender and sexual fluidity were even less visible and accepted than they are today. Like Ava, I grew up in a Catholic family, and had trouble finding comfort in myself - outside those rigid cultural norms. Getting to know and spend time with Lio and Ava during the process of making this film has given me a renewed perspective of being. As a filmmaker, I believe it's equally important to have stories in the world that reflect our experiences, and those different from our own - as a means to learn and grow, and so I hope wherever you’re coming from, you will take something away from this film.