My Friend, the Alien

Documentary, Human interest

Anthony Loffredo doesn't identify with his own body. From a young age, he decided that to truly feel comfortable, he needed to transform himself into an 'alien'. So far, this process has involved tattooing his entire body (including the whites of his eyes); amputating his nose, lips, and ears; sharpening his teeth; forking his tongue and dyeing it green; chopping off two fingers; and placing implants under his skin.

Arthur Bruel is a young journalist who has never even had a tattoo. He is fascinated by Anthony’s story, and in this extraordinary film, he travels to Mexico in search of the human behind this alien transformation.

Told through interview, personal archive and eye-opening reality, ‘Human Side to an Alien’ documents the time that Arthur and Anthony spent together. We discover the motivations, fears, hopes and loves of someone wanting to live as another species. As Anthony explains, the transformation is only half complete, and his next procedure will be the most drastic yet - amputating a leg and replacing it with a robotic one.  

Portrayed as a freak by the media, barred from many restaurants, avoided by Uber drivers, and used by influencers for easy clickbait, Arthur witnesses how Anthony must fight for his freedom of expression every day, in a constant search for people and places that will allow him to continue his transformation.

But will Anthony ever feel accepted? And will Arthur succeed in seeing the human within Anthony? Or will he conclude that, in the end, we are all aliens in this universe?