Outfest: 'Call Her Ganda' tells shocking story of trans Filipina woman killed by U.S. marine

PJ Raval's film investigates murder of Jennifer Laude in broader context of American imperialism

An image from PJ Raval's documentary "Call Her Ganda," showing Jennifer Laude. Photo courtesy Unraval Pictures

The 2018 Outfest film festival is officially underway, with a strong lineup of documentaries set to engage audiences.

Among them is Call Her Ganda, directed by PJ Raval, which explores the death of Jennifer Laude, a transgender Filipina woman who was killed by U.S. Marine stationed in the Philippines. The heinous nature of the crime -- Laude died of asphyxiation in a hotel room in Olongapo after her head was pushed into a toilet -- triggered outrage in the LGBT community and ignited further controversy over the U.S. military presence in the Southeast Asian country. But Laude's tragic story is not widely known in the U.S.

Call Her Ganda will screen Saturday morning at the Harmony Gold Theatre in West Hollywood. Nonfictionfilm.com editor Matt Carey spoke with Raval Thursday night at the Outfest opening night event in downtown L.A.