Soul of the Desert

A poetic, character-driven road movie, Soul of the Desert tells the story of Georgina, a transgender woman in her early seventies and a member of the Indigenous Wayúu tribe. After decades of exile from her community and waiting for identification that correctly reflects her name and gender, Georgina embarks on a journey across the desert to secure the ID that will affirm her true identity. Along the way, she reconnects with the family that once rejected her and confronts the challenges facing her tribe due to corruption in Colombia. With the desert as a powerful motif of resilience and growth, director Mónica Taboada Tapia intertwines the Wayúu people’s fight for recognition with the struggles of the transgender community. The result is an inspiring and moving film that not only explores the intersections of gender identity, ethnicity, citizenship, and civil rights but also reminds us of the universal quest for belonging and the enduring power of human dignity.