Prayers for Sweet Waters takes us into the lives of three transgender sex workers, Wesley, Gulam and Flavirina. It opens with a heartfelt prayer from Gulam “God we are in pain, why don’t you do something?” Despite facing violence, prejudice and the challenges of the Covid -19 pandemic, Gulam embraces life and is a strong and loving mentor for the younger sex workers. Flavirina fled persecution in Burundi to start a new life in Cape Town, and Wesley left a South African rural village as a teenager. Their courage and honesty make compelling viewing. This documentary is exquisitely and sensitively filmed by Stanford-educated cinematographer Elijah Ndoumbe, who describes himself as a bi-racial, trans, queer person.
Prayers for Sweet Waters takes us into the lives of three transgender sex workers, Wesley, Gulam and Flavirina. It opens with a heartfelt prayer from Gulam “God we are in pain, why don’t you do something?” Despite facing violence, prejudice and the challenges of the Covid -19 pandemic, Gulam embraces life and is a strong and loving mentor for the younger sex workers. Flavirina fled persecution in Burundi to start a new life in Cape Town, and Wesley left a South African rural village as a teenager. Their courage and honesty make compelling viewing. This documentary is exquisitely and sensitively filmed by Stanford-educated cinematographer Elijah Ndoumbe, who describes himself as a bi-racial, trans, queer person.
