Cassandro The Exotico!

Er fliegt durch die Lüfte, prallt in die Seile, landet im Publikum und verbringt so viel Zeit im Schminkraum wie im Ring. Noch ist der charismatische Cassandro der unumstrittene Star der Truppe schwuler Wrestler, die beim mexikanischen Macho-Sport Lucha libre die geschlechterpolitisch gefährlichen „Exoticos“ mimen. Doch der malträtierte Körper verlangt nach einem Karriereende, indes der so stolze wie eloquente Kämpfer mit einem Leben abseits der Scheinwerfer hadert. Seit den Anfängen waren Losiers Außenseiterfilme immer auch empathische, ungekünstelte Lebenskunde. Die ihrer quirligen 16mm-Kamera entgegengebrachte Offenheit ist der verdiente Lohn. (Stephan Settele)

Filmed in 16mm, in a deliberately raw style full of flares, editing stutters, speed accelerations and shining colour, Marie Losier’s new documentary follows the final five years of Saúl “Cassandro” Armendáriz’s career as a professional exótico wrestler. Cassandro, who is openly gay and transvestite, was a key figure for the evolution of the exótico category of freestyle wrestling, where fighters perform in drag, challenging the macho stereotypes.
The film mixes footage from fights, on-camera interviews, Skype conversations, family encounters, a music collage, and intimate backstage confessions. It pays attention to settings and objects as an extension of the protagonist, offering a glimpse into his cultural and religious Mexican roots. As is often the case with Losier’s documentaries, CASSANDRO THE EXOTICO! is a portrait graced by the captivating and contagious personality of its hero, and by the tenderness of the filmmaker toward her subject matter. It continues Losier’s investigation of people who defy normative identity, using their bodies as the site for bending and mixing, and as a weapon against dominant society – despite the inevitable scarring this may create. (Cristina Álvarez López)