As a trans woman living against the backdrop of Complexo da Maré – the Rio favela where she was born and raised – 24-year old Lua Brainer is fighting transphobic culture by bringing voguing and ballroom culture to the LGBTQIA+ community of a neighbourhood dominated by aggression.

Emerging in an environment where, as a transgender individual, the average life expectancy is just 35 years, and mortality rates rank as one of the highest in the world, fear of violence is a constant. Yet, as a dance teacher to the favela’s youth, Lua has commanded the respect of local drug dealers, and the title of Imperatriz – or Empress – living authentically in a nation where doing so comes with inarguable risks.

Connected through creative director Leo Belicha during a visit to Brazil, director Joseph Wilson documents Lua’s story in short film LUA. Where previously, prostitution had been the only line of work open to trans women from the favelas, Lua has transformed ballroom workshops and events into a way for her and her peers to generate money and access paid work. Through her refusal to become part of the statistics, and ambition to initiate change for the benefit of future generations, Lua embodies the strength of a community confronted by brutality, seeking new government measures to protect trans people in Brazil.