02 Jul Don’t Just Mourn Black Trans People, Celebrate Them: A Tribute Watch List
BY HANSEN BURSIC
When we see only pain in a community, liberation can feel so distant. It is because of this, celebration and appreciation are some of the most powerful tools against oppression. In Philadelphia, we have come together to mourn the tragic murder of Dominique Fells, a Black trans woman who lived and died here in our city. It is times like these where I see people come out of the woodwork to call for justice who have been absent in this fight beforehand.
Rallying for justice is vital but allyship must go beyond showing up for those lost. Allyship needs to include celebrating and supporting Black trans people who are still here. In honor of Dominique Fells, I have chosen nine films that celebrate and tell the stories of Black trans people. This list only includes films that have Black trans people involved in the filmmaking process and centers on Black trans stories. It also only features films that are accessible online through streaming platforms or to rent digitally.
If you are able, especially if you are white or cisgender, you should donate to organizations that support Black trans people and give to people close to you who are struggling. There is a great list of places to donate to here as well as this link to donate to Dominique Fells family.
DISCLOSURE (2020)
Director: Sam Feder / Where to Watch: Netflix
Content Warning (CW): Discussions and depictions of violence and death, sexual assault, invasive and transphobic conversations around anatomy
There is no better film to kick off this list than Disclosure which came out just last week. Disclaimer, this film covers the good, the bad and the ugly of trans representation on screen and shows scenes of violence, sexual assault and transphobia. With that in mind, I highly recommend you watch this film first because it does a fantastic job of detailing why the other films on this list are so important. This documentary interviews some of the amazing trans visionaries behind the scenes and discusses the long and turbulent history of trans people and how they are depicted in film and television. Many people interviewed in this film have roles on the various films on this list including Yance Ford who directed Strong Island and MJ Rodriguez who plays Ebony is Saturday Church.
SATURDAY CHURCH (2016)
Director: Damon Cardasis / Where to Watch: Tubi
Saturday Church is probably the most feel-good movie on this list. The touching, coming of age film tells the story of Ulysses, a gender-questioning queer teenager who finds community in the late night Saturday Church program for LGBTQ youth, based on a real program in NYC. The narrative weaves through reality and fantasy occasionally breaking into musical numbers that illuminate the inner struggles of finding love and acceptance as a trans and queer person. The film also features two Black trans women Ebony and Dijon played by trans actors Mj Rodriguez and Indya Moore who would later star in the hit television show Pose.
CHECK IT (2016)
Director: Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer / Where to Watch: Amazon ($2.99)
CW: Sexual assault, graphic violence
Check It introduces viewers to a street gang made up of Black LGBTQ people fed up with harassment and anti-LGBTQ violence at school and in their neighborhoods. Taking place in Washington D.C., the documentary follows several young queer and trans people through various life events as they try to find their place in a world that rejects them from all sides. This intense but powerful must watch stands out for its transparent depiction of the struggles and joys of a misunderstood community living within miles from the White House.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARSHA! (2018)
Directors: Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel / Where to Watch: Amazon ($3.99 / Free with Prime)
CW: Police brutality
If you haven’t been introduced to the powerful work of Black trans filmmaker Tourmaline, now is the time! This list would be incomplete without the addition of her masterful short film, Happy Birthday Marsha. This beautiful, portrait film, co-directed by Sasha Wortzel, follows revolutionary Black trans activist Marsha P. Johnson on the day leading up to the Stonewall Riots. Not only does this film help illuminate the often erased experience of one of the most important activists in LGBTQ history but it is also beautiful in its dreamlike cinematography and blending of real footage from stonewall.
As a bonus, Tourmaline’s latest film Salacia is available for viewing for FREE as a new addition to the MoMA’s permanent collection until July 6th. The film tells the story of Mary Jones, a Black trans sex worker who lived in Seneca Village, a predominantly Black New York neighborhood in what’s now Central Park. You can watch the film here.
TANGERINE (2015)
Director: Sean Baker / Where to Watch: Hulu or Amazon ($2.99)
CW: Drug use
Tangerine made headlines back in 2015 because it was shot entirely on iPhones but that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this groundbreaking film. The buddy comedy film follows Sin-Dee and Alexandra, two Black trans women who go on a mission to track down Sin-Dee’s cheating, pimp boyfriend. A film that in it’s description has all the trappings of an exploitative trans narrative, Tangerine does an amazing job at humanizing trans experience and launched a funny yet extremely powerful story about Black trans sex workers into theaters across the country.
In a time where we saw problematic movies like The Danish Girl and Dallas Buyers Club, which both cast cisgender men as trans women, Tangerine director Sean Baker not only cast Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, two Black trans women, to play the two trans leads but worked directly with them to write the story. This approach centered the real life experiences of the two in order to craft a narrative unlike any other before it.
STRONG ISLAND (2017)
Director: Yance Ford / Where to Watch: Netflix
CW: Discussion of violence and death
While this Oscar-nominated film might not seem like a transgender story, Yance Ford, the transgender director of this groundbreaking documentary, would argue otherwise. A word of caution, this film is the most heavy on this list and can be painful for those who have lost loved ones to violence. Strong Island is a intense, emotional look into the murder of William Ford by a white man and the broken U.S. criminal justice system that fails to bring him to justice. A must watch for anyone looking for films that expose racism in America, the film also features the intense personal connection between William and Yance who are siblings.
In an interview with IndieWire, Yance talks about a phone call included in the film saying “that’s the kind of phone call that a 24-year-old guy would make to his younger brother, not to his younger sister, I want to encourage people to take a closer look at that moment.” The film also marked the first time a transgender director has been nominated for an Oscar.
BLACK IS BLUE (2014)
Director: Cheryl Dunye / Where to Watch: Vimeo ($1.99)
From legendary director Cheryl Dunye, who you might know through her breakthrough film set in Philadelphia Watermelon Woman, Black is Blue is a short film about a trans security guard who runs into his ex girlfriend outside of a party. Dunye’s classic style blending mockumentary, documentary and narrative takes form as we see the complex relationship trans men often have with lesbian communities. This short not only stars a Black trans man as the lead but also Black trans men as cisgender characters and features a conversation after the short about the film.
@HansenBursic is an award-winning filmmaker and LGBTQ rights advocate. His work has screened internationally at festivals and art galleries such as Frameline, The Women’s Film Festival, and Vox Populi. Recently, he has been working with the Pennsylvania Values Campaign as their Lead Media Coordinator to get statewide protections for LGBTQ people in employment, housing, and public accommodation.
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