10 Films and Documentaries about Trans and Gender Non-Comforming Folx To Celebrate Trans Awareness Week
Happy Trans awareness week! There is so much progress to be made to help protect the lives and livelihoods of our trans brothers and sisters, especially within the media. While we continue the fight for better political and social protections for the LGBTQ+ community, there are lots of great feature films and documentaries that shed light on the diversity of the trans and gender non-conforming experience. Here are some of my favorites to help you celebrate and learn.
1.) Tomboy
Written and directed by Céline Sciamma (Girlhood, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Tomboy focuses on 10 year old Laure who moves to a new neighborhood during the summer. When approached by a girl named Lisa, Laure adopts the name Mickaël and starts experimenting with gender presentation. As the summer continues, Mickaël begins to like presenting as a boy and faces various reactions from their family and community. Although Mickaël is not explicitly transgender, Sciamma’s film is a meditation on the various ways gender norms around presentation impact us from a young age.
Where to watch: iTunes, Kanopy
2.) Lingua Franca (2020)
One of my favorite films this year is Lingua Franca! Written and directed by trans filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, the film stars Sandoval herself as Olivia, an undocumented filipina trans woman working as a caretaker for Olga, an elderly Russian woman living in Brooklyn. Set against the backdrop of the Trump administration, Olivia faces anxiety about deportation and desperately searches for someone to marry to obtain a green card. When Olga’s grandson Alex (Eamon Farren) moves in, the two start to form a connection.
Where to watch: Netflix
3.) Suited (2016)
This HBO documentary tells the unique story of Bindle & Keep, a Brooklyn tailoring company that creates custom suits for gender non-conforming and transgender clients. I’ll admit, before watching Suited, I’d sadly never really thought too much about how hard it can be for those outside the gender binary to find a perfectly fitting suit. This documentary focuses on the experiences of different clients including a 12 year old trans boy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, a trans man who needs a suit for his upcoming wedding, and a law student starting to interview for jobs. All the touching stories are a testament to designers Rae Tutera and Daniel Friedman’s approach as they take the time to understand each client’s specific journey.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube
4.) Tangerine (2015)
Shot completely on the iPhone 5s, Sean Baker’s Tangerine tells the story of trans sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez). Sin-Dee Rella finishes a month long prison sentence when she meets her friend and fellow trans sex worker Alexandra (Mya Taylor) at a donut shop in LA. When Alexandra reveals Sin-Dee’s pimp and boyfriend Chester is cheating on her with a cis woman. The two search for Chester in hopes of teaching him a lesson.
Where to watch: Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, YouTube
5.) Fantastic Woman (2017)
This Chilean film from director Sebastián Lelio focuses on the life of Marina (Daniela Vega), a young transgender woman working in Santiago as a waitress and singer. When her boyfriend Orlando suddenly dies of a brain aneurysm, Marina has to find ways to grieve on her own. Because of her identity as a trans woman, the police repeatedly question Marina and refuse to believe the two could have had a regular romantic relationship. To make matters worse, Orlando’s ex-wife Sonia and his children tell her not to attend the funeral because they view their relationship as perverted. A Fantastic Woman is a beautiful portrait of a grieving woman on a path to moving forward.
Where to watch: Amazon, YouTube, Google Play
6.) Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen (2020)
Directed by Sam Feder, Disclosure recounts the history of trans representation in Hollywood. With commentary by trans actors and activists Laverne Cox, Susan Stryker, Alexandra Billings, Jamie Clayton, Chaz Bono, Trace Lysette, Mj Rodriguez, Angelica Ross, Brian Michael Smith, Candis Cayne, and more. This documentary goes beyond simply telling the history of Hollywood through a trans lens, it goes into great detail about how the often poor representation of trans lives on screen directly impacts the real world violence that trans folx face on a daily basis.
Where to watch: Netflix
7.) All About My Mother (1999)
From Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar, All About My Mother tells the story of Manuela (Cecilia Roth), an Argentine nurse working in Madrid and a single mother to son Esteban (Eloy Azorín). When Esteban dies in a tragic accident on his 17th birthday, Manuela agrees that his heart be donated to someone in need. She follows his heart all the way to Barcelona where she hopes to reconnect with Esteban’s father Lola, a trans woman who was hidden from Esteban and never told she has a son.
Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes, YouTube
8.) Shinjuku Boys (1995)
This documentary by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams explores the lives of three trans men working at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo, Japan. The three men are considered to be onnabes, women that live as men and have girlfriends, but do not identify as lesbians. The three go in depth discussing their gender bending lives. While it might feel a bit dated at this point, the strength of the interviews stands out to this day.
Where to watch: Kanopy
9.) Soldier’s Girl (2003)
Directed by Frank R. Pierson, Soldier’s Girl is based on the real relationship between trans woman Calpernia Addams and soldier Barry Winchell. The two first meet at a club where Calpernia is performing. Once the two begin dating, rumors start spreading and Barry faces increasing harassment at work. Lee Pace’s performance as Calpernia is stunning and the real Calpernia Addams is an amazing activist who helps support trans stories in Hollywood.
Where to watch: Amazon
10.) Transhood (2020)
This documentary directed by Sharon Liese follows four children ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 living in Kansas and Missouri. Both the children and their parents reveal how gender identity is shaping their lives and redefining childhood in a beautiful, nuanced way.
Where to watch: HBO Max
