On October 18 at 6:00 p.m., Vabamu invites everyone to a screening of “Wariazone”.

The documentary “Wariazone” (2011) by anthropologist Terje Toomistu and artist Kiwa focuses on a community of transgender women in Indonesia known as waria. Traditionally, variations in gender identity have been considered to be holy in many Indonesian cultures, but today warias have been relegated to an outlaw zone on the outskirts of society. The consequences of the stigmatisation based on the rigidity of social constructions (morals, religions, hetero-normativity, etc.) include non-recognition of their gender identity, discrimination, limited work opportunities, violence and sex work.

Dr. Terje Toomistu (www.terjetoomistu.com) is an anthropologist, documentary filmmaker and a research fellow at the Department of Ethnology of the University of Tartu. Her main research interests are related to gender, mobility and affect.

Kiwa (www.kiwanoid.com; www.paranoia.ee) is a multichannel meta-artist, one of the most prominent pioneers of Estonian experimental art since the 1990s. His work functions as an intertextual study on different levels of socio-symbolic meaning-making and cultural codes.

The duration of the film is 58 minutes, the film is in English and will be accompanied by a discussion with Terje Toomistu in Estonian.

Admission with a museum ticket

Film trailer www.terjetoomistu.com/wariazone

Before the screening, those interested can visit the permanent exhibition “From “such people” to LGBT activism”, which focuses on the stories of gender and sexual minorities in Estonia, and the temporary exhibition “Escape the Kitchen!”, which is about the 150 years history of Estonian women’s movements.