Invisible Presences: The Aesthetics of Damián Sainz in Batería

Abstract:Batería (2016) is a short documentary movie that tells the story of a "secret" place—an old military fort located on the outskirts of Havana—where gay men meet for clandestine sexual encounters. The nuance of the documentary is the stylistic ability of director Damián Sainz to construct through the stories told via voice-off of the protagonists to ensure the anonymity of the participants. In that apparent fragility of the narrative, Sainz builds up a solid filmic foundation. The result is Batería, a visual documentary full of an abandoned place, graffiti, murals, sounds, and invisible presences.Invisibility is a connecting thread that leads me to consider the documentary under its lens. Invisibility, often presented as a negative feature that buries, marginalizes, and negates space for the LGBTQ+ subject, as much as it lacks, nevertheless, it can cost—and has cost—the lives of many. Therefore, what I am positing, is a reevaluation of invisibility—often seen as negative by queer academic production, or as something to be overcome in order to achieve a better life through social visibility—in order to spark ethical conversations. These academic conversations won't be definitive but, in some way, and from the academy, bring some sort of critical justice to the matter, as too many times there is no legal justice for homicide cases involving members of the LGBTQ+ community.