Daniel Donato
Brazil/FILM/
Daniel is a cinematographer and director. He did his film education in Brazil, and his master's degree in cinematography at the Film Academy in Amsterdam. The themes of body, migration, gender and queer identity are central to Daniel's work and research. These themes are reflected in his collaborative project with Agnes Geneva.
His latest film, "Hello my first love, over and out", premiered during the 39th edition of the Visions du Réel film festival. His work as a cinematographer has been screened at the Locarno Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, DOK Leipzig, Netherlands Film Festival, Helsinki International Film Festival and Uppsala International Short Film Festival, among others. Daniel is currently developing his first feature film. By rediscovering the memories and life experiences of its main character, they create new stories in a mix between fiction, musical and real life.
PRESENTING
“Discovering Agnes or Searching for Agnes”
In this exhibition, we enter a journey that started in 2015 when I first met Agnes at Lellebel, a drag queen bar in Amsterdam. I was fascinated by her and I instantly knew I wanted to be her friend. Our collaboration documents Agnes’ transition into a transgender woman, the evolution of our friendship, and the search for my style and language as a director.
Two factors are fundamental: having a ‘real’ character (focusing on a biographical characterization) and using a methodology that comes out of practice (research by making). From my character’s experiences, I create fictional situations inspired by real life. We play a game in which we fictionally rewrite parts of their history. Working within a space between fiction and life, we create a place where they can play different versions of themselves, relive critical situations, and create a different reality in which past events can be changed.