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VOICE SHIFT

Voice Shift follows transgender femme individuals as they seek a voice that reflects their gender identity. Guided by a trans vocal coach, the film weaves together stories from different stages of people's journeys. But this is more than an exploration of vocal technique, this is a film about identity and resilience - blending lived experience with a wider social commentary on the power and politics of voice.

  • Roberto Duque
    Director
    The Writing's On The Wall, Facing Evil
  • Roberto Duque
    Writer
    The Writing's On The Wall, Facing Evil
  • Roberto Duque
    Producer
    The Body In The Bathroom
  • Rochelle Newman
    Producer
    White Nanny Black Child, Shadow Scholars, Jazmine and Amaya
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 30, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Aesthetica Short Film Festival
    York
    United Kingdom
    November 8, 2025
    World Premiere
Director Biography - Roberto Duque

Roberto is an experienced producer, edit producer, and an award winning emerging director - winning the Audience Award at the Blind Walls Film Festival 2025 in the Netherlands for his documentary 'The Writing's On The Wall'.

Before directing, Roberto has acquired invaluable experience as a producer working on stand-alone feature documentaries, series’ and shorts for prominent UK and US broadcasters, streaming platforms, institutions and charities. These include Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, Disney Plus, Hulu, CBS, Discovery, UKTV, Fox, ABC, Google, Victim Support, the V&A and the Guardian Arts.

As a director, Roberto recently won The Listening Pitch 2025, leading to the commissioning of his documentary ‘Voice Shift’, by Audible and Aesthetica Magazine. The film premiered at the Aesthetica Film Festival 2025.

In 2024, Roberto founded the production company New Duke Films in partnership with BAFTA winning producer Rochelle Newman.

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Director Statement

Voice Shift is a short documentary that explores the trans femme voice through an ensemble cast of interviews. The film weaves together two narrative threads. The first follows the process of shifting one’s voice to align with gender identity, while the second explores a broader shift in public perception of the trans community, told through people's lived experience.

In recent times, many in the trans community have faced an increasingly difficult climate, marked by a rise in hostile legislation, intensifying political debates that question basic rights, and growing media rhetoric that often misrepresents or sensationalises trans lives. Access to gender-affirming healthcare has been restricted in several regions, and public discourse has become more polarised, leaving many trans people feeling targeted and unsafe. Alongside these policy and cultural pressures, reports of discrimination and violence have continued to highlight the vulnerability of trans individuals, contributing to a collective sense that this has been an especially challenging year for the community, and their voices are being silenced.

This project, featuring an all-trans cast and a predominantly trans crew, aims to empower the community’s voice at a time when it is needed most.