Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi: Performance as Life

Overview

Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi is a trans activist and performance artist based in Ghana who identifies as a ‘transvatar’—a reflection of the many identities she embodies. The documentary intimately follows her journey as she navigates daily life, artmaking, and her political struggles as a Black African LGBTQI+ activist. Filmed at perfocraZe International Artist Residency (pIAR), a space founded and run by Va-Bene in Kumasi, the documentary features interviews with her and members of the pIAR art family, along with archival performance footage. As Va-Bene shares her story, the film travels with her to the north of Ghana in Tamale, and to the southern coast, where remnants of one of her performances linger in the dungeons where enslaved women were held within Elmina Castle.