The Journey of Monalisa

2019 Chilean film

10 October 2019 (2019-10-10) (FICV)
7 November 2019 (2019-11-07) (Doc NYC)
11 July 2020 (2020-07-11) (Vimeo)
11 June 2021 (2021-06-11) (Ondamedia)

Running time

92 minutesCountriesChile
United StatesLanguageSpanish

The Journey of Monalisa (Spanish: El viaje de Monalisa) is a 2019 Chilean-American documentary film directed by Nicole Costa (in her directorial debut) and written by Costa, Daniela Camino & Melisa Miranda.^[1] It is about the journey of the transgender artist Iván Monalisa in her self-exile in New York where she worked as a prostitute.^[2]

Synopsis

In 1995, the artist Iván Ojeda was invited to New York to study at the New Dramatists. When everything ends, instead of returning to Chile, he decides to change his name to Iván Monalisa and work as a transgender prostitute. 17 years later, Nicole Costa, his old friend from college and director of this film, arrives in New York to begin a journey with Monalisa to understand the reasons for Iván's self-exile.^[3]

Release

The Journey of Monalisa had its world premiere on 10 October 2019, at the Valdivia International Film Festival,^[4] then screened on 7 November 2019, at the DOC NYC.^[5] It had its digital premiere on 11 July 2020, on Vimeo,^[6] almost a year later, it was released on 11 June 2021, in a limited and free way on Ondamedia.^[7]

Accolades

Year	Award / Festival	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2019	Bilbao Zinegoak International Film Festival	Best Documentary	The Journey of Monalisa	Won	^[8]
2020	Women's Film Festival	Special Jury Award		Won	^[9]
	Network Film Festival	Margin Mention		Won	^[10]
	Docs Valparaíso International Documentary Film Festival	Best National Feature Film		Won	^[11]
	La Serena International Film Festival	National Feature Film Competition - Honorable Mention		Won	^[12]
	LesGaiCineMad, Madrid International LGBT Film Festival	Best Documentary Feature Film		Won	^[13]
2021	Cinema Tropical	Best Latinx USA Film		Won	^[14]

References

^ "Festival de Cine de Valdivia anuncia las películas chilenas seleccionadas para su versión 2019". SACH | Solo Artistas Chilenos (in Spanish). 6 August 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ Bahamondes, Pedro (7 November 2019). "Iván Monalisa: "Aún faltan voces trans que hablen desde la literatura"". La Tercera. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "El viaje de Monalisa". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia anuncia las películas chilenas seleccionadas para su edición 2019 – Centro Cultural de Promoción Cinematográfica de Valdivia" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ Bahamondes, Pedro (6 November 2019). "Iván Monalisa, un escritor chileno y sobre tacones por las calles de NY". La Tercera. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Documental "El viaje de Monalisa" de Nicole Costa vía on line". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Llega a Ondamedia premiada película "El Viaje de Monalisa"". El Desconcierto - Prensa digital libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "El viaje de Monalisa". Muestra de Cine de Mujeres de Zaragoza (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "10º Festival de Cine de Mujeres, Femcine". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Festival de Cine en Red – REDFECI". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Festival Docsbarcelona Valparaíso triplica audiencia en su versión online y anuncia ganadores". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 5 October 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "6º Festival Internacional de Cine de La Serena". Cinechile (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "'El viaje de Monalisa', de Nicole Costa, gana el 25 LesGaiCineMad". CIMA (in Spanish). 9 November 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ Martínez, Carlos (19 June 2021). "En el Mes del Orgullo Gay…Descubre "El Viaje de Monalisa" | INFOGATE". infogate.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.