The Ponce family is the perfect family that lives in the quiet mountain town of Bambito, Panama. Federico is a successful father. Carol is the loving mother of three wonderful children. Despite perfect appearances, Federico and Carol share a secret: when they have a date night, they are accompanied by Lizzie - a fun and confident woman who is actually Federico dressed up as a woman. What perhaps began as a fun game, soon becomes Federico's struggle to keep his family together and save his own life when he chooses to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Thailand.
Acting
Arantxa de Juan's layered, unsentimental dual performance.
Direction
Montenegro's restraint in a story that could've gone melodramatic.
Director
Arturo Montenegro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
One of Panama's few internationally visible films addressing trans identity, released before the country legalized same-sex marriage in 2023. The rural mountain setting deliberately contrasts with typical urban queer narratives.
Director Arturo Montenegro cast Arantxa de Juan after seeing her in theater; she spent months with Panama's trans community preparing. The Thailand surgery trip mirrors real medical tourism patterns for Panamanians seeking procedures unavailable locally.
PA
