Leandra Leal is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning Brazilian actress who has acted in more than 25 feature films, 12 soap operas, and many plays. She was awarded Best Actress at the Fenix Awards and nominated for the Platinum Awards, both for “A Wolf at the Door.” “Divine Divas” is her feature directorial debut.

“Divine Divas” will premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival on March 11.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

LL: The Divine Divas are the first generation of transvestite artists in contemporary Brazil. They started their careers during the military dictatorship in the 1960s and, in a time of fierce political dispute, they fought for the freedom of being who they were, for the right to live according to their dreams.

The film speaks through my relationship with these people. I was born into a family of artists, and I lived — and was very close with — the Divine Divas since I was a child. The universe represented by them tells you a lot about my history, too.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

LL: My grandfather was a theater producer, and my mother is an actress. Our family has a theater in the downtown of Rio de Janeiro, the Rival Theater. It was in this theater, where I grew up, that the Divine Divas started their career. I have known all of them since I was a child.

This is my first film as a director, and I wanted to talk about something personal — something that would connect with me as an artist and as a citizen.

I also wanted to promote acknowledgement of transvestites and create a record of the fight of this first generation of transvestite artists of my country.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

LL: I’d like people to leave the theater acknowledging the human part of each one of them, free from prejudices and stereotypes.

I want people to understand the importance of living according their own potency, their own truth, with the courage to be who they truly are.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

LL: It was really hard to make the production of the film feasible. Right now, Brazil is in the middle of a strong and rising conservative wave. Besides the gender issue, the film talks about getting old, which is a big taboo in our country. We live with the illusion of being a country of youth. We value youth and beauty above all else and forget — or simply ignore — the aging process.

It was really hard to raise resources for the film, and I had to put my own money in the budget. The film editing took two and a half years.

It was also very difficult to have the authentic directorial distance to tell something so personal — to balance the eight characters, to tell something unique about each one, and, at the same time, build a generational puzzle.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

LL: The film tells the history of these eight artists through the preparation, rehearsal, and premiere of a commemorative event celebrating their 50-year careers. This musical theater event was created exclusively for the film.

We received funds from the Rio de Janeiro City Hall to realize the show. To shoot the rehearsals and the show itself, we got resources from a crowdfunding campaign, which mobilized a lot of supporters for our cause. This kind of campaign is not so common in Brazil, especially for cinema, where costs are high. But we did it.

The idea of involving the public to fund the event was very good because, besides the financial investment, it brought an incredible mobilization of people and interest in the project. With the support of institutions that advocate LGBTQ causes in Brazil, the film itself became a cause, a kind of flag that gained political importance.

After the event, we won a public cinema grant from the Ministry of Culture, which is awarded to low-budget films. With these resources, we were able to edit and finish the movie.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?

LL: It is a dream come true. SXSW is an innovative festival that [highlights] contemporary ways of making art. This honor is very important for the film’s life.

I already did a movie as an actress that was selected by SXSW, “A Wolf at the Door,” and at that time I really wanted to go to the festival and couldn’t.

I am very happy to arrive now with my directorial debut film, and I am sure I will see many [influential] movies, concerts, and keynotes presentations.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

LL: The best advice I received was from Brazilian director Walter Lima Jr., who directed me in “The Oyster and the Wind,” which was my first movie as an actress. He said, “The camera only captures what you feel.”

The worst advice, well, I choose not to keep that memory!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

LL: I want to mention all the female Brazilian directors that, right now, are making important films and are addressing female representation in Brazilian cinema: Helena Ignez, Anna Muylaert, Marília Rocha, Laís Bodanzky, Daniela Thomas, Maya Da-Rin, Marina Meliande, and Júlia Murat.

W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.

LL: I think we are in a positive moment related to this, but we still have a long way to go. We need more discussion about female participation in all professional fields but, above all, we need to make the change.

For a long time, cinema was a male-dominated field. When I started as an actress, the only women in production were in continuity, art direction, and costume. This is changing. Women need to direct more films and tell our histories from our point of view, with female main characters and stories.

Each movie directed by a woman opens the path for another, inspiring her also tell her history.