During the fall, students from the PLAS course "On Women and Witches" (LAS 352 / SPA 369 / GSS 467), taught by Isabella Vergara C, a postdoctoral research associate and lecturer in Latin American studies, embarked on a day-long trip to New York City to visit the exhibition Dueñas de la Noche: Trans Lives and Dreams in 1980s Caracas at the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA). This exhibition features the 1982 documentary Trans by filmmakers Manuel Herreros de Lemos and Mateo Manaure Arilla, which follows a group of Venezuelan trans women in early 1980s Caracas as they share their dreams and demonstrate their resilience against the backdrop of the city. 

Upon arrival, students were welcomed by the exhibition's curators, who provided an overview of the documentary's historical context and its significance in portraying the lives of trans women during a period of social and political upheaval in Venezuela. The curators highlighted the challenges faced by the filmmakers and the subjects, noting that when the film first premiered in 1982 at the Cinemateca Nacional de Venezuela, police attempted to arrest Herreros de Lemos, Manaure Arilla, and the twenty-five trans women film collaborators and subjects in attendance. After its premiere, the filmmakers encountered challenges in screening the film for decades, which made preserving and sharing the documentary precarious and dangerous. 

The exhibition also includes ephemera and photographs from the collection, including portraits of the film’s subjects taken in exchange for the women’s participation in the film. These materials provide a deeper understanding of the personal narratives and the socio-political environment of 1980s Caracas. 

Students engaged in discussions about the intersection of gender, politics, and art, drawing parallels between the themes presented in the exhibition and the course's exploration of women's roles and representations in various cultural contexts. The visit offered a unique opportunity to analyze how marginalized communities use art and media to assert their identities and challenge societal norms.

The trip concluded with a reflection session, where students shared their insights on the resilience and agency of the trans women featured in the documentary. They considered the broader implications of the exhibition for understanding contemporary issues related to gender and representation in Latin America and beyond.