Una mujer fantástica

A Fantastic Woman | Eine fantastische Frau

TEDDY 40 2026

Marina and Orlando are in love and plan to spend their lives together. She is working as a waitress and adores singing. Her lover, twenty years her senior, has left his family for her. One night, when they return home after having exuberantly celebrated Marina’s birthday at a restaurant, Orlando suddenly turns deathly pale and stops responding. At the hospital, all the doctors can do is confirm his death. Events follow thick and fast: Marina finds herself facing a female police inspector’s unpleasant questions, and Orlando’s family shows her nothing but anger and mistrust. Orlando’s wife excludes Marina from the funeral; she also orders her to leave the apartment – which on paper at least belonged to Orlando – as soon as possible. Marina is a transgender woman. The deceased’s family feels threatened by her sexual identity. With the same energy she once used to fight for her right to live as a woman, Marina, with her head held high, now insists on her right to grieve. Even if her environment conspires against her, the film at least is entirely on her side, showing us a protagonist who, although increasingly sidelined, is nonetheless strong and worldly-wise – a truly fantastic woman.

by Sebastián Lelio (Director, Screenplay), Gonzalo Maza (Screenplay)
with Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Kuppenheim, Nicolas Saavedra, Amparo Noguera, Nestor Cantillana, Alejandro Goic, Antonia Zegers, Sergio Hernandez Chile / USA / Germany / Spain 2017 Spanish 104' Colour Rating R 12

TEDDY 40

Una mujer fantástica celebrated its Berlinale premiere in the 2017 Competition.

With

Daniela Vega (Marina)
Francisco Reyes (Orlando)
Luis Gnecco (Gabo)
Aline Kuppenheim (Sonia)
Nicolas Saavedra (Bruno)
Amparo Noguera (Adriana)
Nestor Cantillana (Gaston)
Alejandro Goic (Doctor)
Antonia Zegers (Alessandra)
Sergio Hernandez (Singing Teacher)

Crew

Director	Sebastián Lelio
Screenplay	Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza
Cinematography	Benjamín Echazarreta
Editing	Soledad Salfate
Music	Matthew Herbert
Sound Design	Tina Laschke
Production Design	Estefanía Larraín
Costumes	Muriel Parra
Producers	Juan de Dios, Pablo Larraín
Executive Producers	Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Rocío Jadue Z.
Co-Producers	Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach

Produced by

Fabula

Santiago, Chile

Co-produced by

Participant Media

Beverly Hills, USA

Komplizen Film

Berlin, Germany

Muchas Gracias

Santiago, Chile

Setembro Cine

World Sales

Funny Balloons

Paris, France

Photos

Sebastián Lelio

Born in Mendoza, Argentina in 1974, he grew up in Chile where he studied film at the Escuela de Cine de Chile. His feature film debut La sagrada familia screened at San Sebastián. It was followed by Navidad which premiered at Cannes while his third feature, El año del tigre, was selected for Locarno. His work was first presented in the Berlinale Competition in 2013 with Gloria whose lead, Paulina García, won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. In 2017, he returned to the Competition with Una mujer fantástica.

Filmography

2005 La sagrada familia 2009 Navidad 2011 El año del tigre 2012 Gloria; Berlinale 2013 2017 Una mujer fantástica; Berlinale 2017

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026