Cynthia Arra
Cynthia studied cinema, video and editing at the School of Fine Arts (Ecole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts) in Paris and graduated as assistant director from the Conservatoire libre du cinéma français.
She has made a short fiction film called LA MORT EN DOUCE in 2005 and co-directed with Mélissa Arra her first feature-length documentary L’ORDRE DES MOTS / BINDING WORDS in 2007.
Concurrently with her own projects, she is also casting director and actors director on short and length features.
She has worked on award-winning short films such as : FORBACH directed by Claire Burger, VILAINE FILLE , MAUVAIS GARÇON directed by Justine Triet ; SUR LA ROUTE DU PARADIS directed by Uda Benyamina, C’EST GRATUIT POUR LES FILLES and DEMOLITION PARTY directed by Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeli.
She has most recently worked on award-winning feature-length films such as VANDAL directed by Hélier Cisterne, DIAMANT NOIR directed by Arthur Harari, C’EST ÇA L’AMOUR directed by Claire Burger, VICTORIA, SIBYL and ANATOMY OF A FALL (Cannes / Palme d’or 2023) directed by Justine Triet.
Directors
About Binding Words
Directed by Cynthia Arra & Mélissa Arra
Documentary / 2007 / France / 75’ / 4:3
The film aims to give Trans’ people whose quest for gender identity is fettered by established norms a chance to voice their tribulation. Their means of resistance consist of searching for tools of knowledge, for corporealities, sexualities and alternative identities to those of the conventional schemas. Far from the usual treatment of Trans issues, this film, through the choice of its portrait subjects – all contemporary actors and precursors of the Trans’and Intersex movement in France – addresses the gender identity issues head-on by questioning our often unchallenged societal norms and analyzing the nature of the oppression and repression faced by the Trans’ and Intersex community.
With Maud-Yeuse Thomas, Tom Reucher, Vincent Avrons, Vincent He-Say, Carine Boeuf and Vincent Guillot.
directors Cynthia Arra & Mélissa Arra
self-produced Cynthia Arra & Mélissa Arra
camera operators Cynthia Arra & Mélissa Arra
editing Cynthia Arra, Mélissa Arra & Justine Triet
music during crédits “Manifeste”, original soundtrack of the film “Exils” (Exiles) by Tony Gatlif
mix Christophe Doucet-Mimoun
color grading Sydney Teggbo & Sandra Sauron – toggle productions
english subtitles Paul Belle, Steve Arra & Marie-Hélène Bourcier
trailer Clémentine March
website Vincent He-Say
support for festival screening Digital Beta or DVD in French or in French with English subtitles