A Filmmaker's Guide: The Transgender Experience on Film

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re actually going to be learning about literature and film together. I understand that many of you are sitting in university during difficult times and finding it increasingly hard to study and I understand that many of you who are not at university or not planning on it are possibly stuck of what to do, need a break or even need to catch up on learning film before you get to the next level. This guide will be brief but will also contain: new vocabulary, concepts and theories, films to watch and we will be exploring something taboo until now in the ‘filmmaker’s guide’ - academia (abyss opens). Each article will explore a different concept of film, philosophy, literature or bibliography/filmography etc. in order to give you something new to learn each time we see each other. You can use some of the words amongst family and friends to sound clever or you can get back to me (email in bio) and tell me how you’re doing. So, strap in and prepare for the filmmaker’s guide to film studies because it is going to be one wild ride.

The Transgender Experience on Film

What is it?

When the trans-experience is made into film, sometimes based on various pieces of literature. These are either really successful or end up gaining massive amounts of backlash.

In literature, the trans-experience as been covered sporadically since the beginning of the previous century with Virginia Woolf's "Orlando". "Orlando" is a story about either a trans-person or a non-binary person [it is never made clear as to what they actually identify out].

Other books include:

• Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff
• One in Every Crowd Ivan Coyote
• For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu
• Pantomime by Laura Lam

What about in film?

Films often cover the MTF experience and the only really famous one I can think of that covers the FTM experience is "Boys Don't Cry" starring Hillary Swank.

But there are other films to do with the trans-experience that do fairly well in terms of the box office and some that are more independent. If you're going to make a film about the trans-experience and you are not transgender yourself, I would highly suggest having a transgender person on set as one of your screenplay writers because you will find it becomes more authentic this way.

Let us have a look at some transgender characters on film and we are going to have a look at the better ones that have done well at the box office or are critically acclaimed:

1. The Danish Girl
2. Dallas Buyers Club
3. All About My Mother
4. Breakfast on Pluto
5. Southern Comfort
6. Criminal Queers
7. In a Year of Thirteen Moons
8. Transamerica
9. Tangerine
10. The Crying Game
11. Boys Don't Cry
12. Paris Is Burning
13. Something Must Break
14. Tomboy
15. The Birdcage

The important thing to remember when we cis-people watch the movies of trans-experience is to not think transphobic thoughts. Do not believe that all trans-experience stories are the same, not all of them are upsetting and not all of them are happy. Each and every story is individual and the moment we believe that, we can keep an open mind towards the trans-experience story on film. The other thing us cis-people need to do is we need to stop concentrating on the massive difference between trans-people and cis-people. We need to be inclusive by normalising their stories and normalising them talking about themselves as we talk about ourselves. I think that there is still a long way to go before this happens but as we can see here, we have a starting point. However, it is still taboo for trans-people to talk about their stories of the trans-experience. It is our job to invite them, but not push them to talk about it. Invite their stories and give an open space for them. There is some advice for you.

Further Reading:

• Bird, J (2020). Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place: A Transgender Memoir. USA: Tiller Press.
• Brill, S. Pepper, R. (2008). Transgender Child, The: A Handbook for Families and Professionals. USA: Cleis Press.
• Feinberg, L (1997). Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman . 2nd ed. USA: Beacon Press.
• Roche, J (2019). Trans Power: Own Your Gender. USA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Stryker, S (2017). Transgender History (Second Edition): The Roots of Today's Revolution . 2nd ed. USA: Seal Press. 1.