La Chiquitta is seen transforming into Wonderwoman and laying into a would-be bag snatcher in a hilarious, low-budget, production. As a non-transsexual, Bautista was concerned about what kind of reaction he would get from the transgender community. He needn't have worried. The feedback from the trans community in Hong Kong was appreciative.
Popular culture is key to changing society's perceptions, says Justus Eisfeld, the New York-based co-director of Gate - the Global Action for Trans Equality. While previously transgender characters in movies would often die tragically before the end of the film, Eisfeld says there's been a sea change in how they are portrayed.
'There's been quite a shift in the past 10 to 15 years. Before, transgender people didn't live to the end of the movie. They were sad, tragic, suicidal figures. Or they were made fun of,' he says. 'Now there is more variety. We're not always the dramatic figures we used to be. There's more of a realistic portrayal. There are starting to be trans people who are not the centre of the movie, they are the non-important storylines, the minor characters. This is a good thing. We're starting to be seen as regular people.'
As well as popular culture, there's nothing better than a celebrity coming out to reinforce the message of how trans people are viewed in society, says Eisfeld. 'I think the influence of popular culture cannot be overstated. If one celebrity comes out as being trans, it makes people talk to their family and friends.'
An example of this is Chaz Bono, who completed a sex change operation in May. Born as the daughter of singers Sonny Bono and Cher, Chaz Bono has been an outspoken rights activist for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.