Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
Director: Sam Feder
Seen on: 12.4.2023

Content Note: (critical treatment of) transmisia

“Plot”:
The documentary takes a look at the history of trans representation in (Hollywood) films, tracing the historical roots and their echoes today. It includes interviews with trans people working in Hollywood and other media, both behind and in front of the camera, and tries to outline how trans people are affected by the stories told about them.

Disclosure is a thorough documentary that does what so few reports do when it comes to trans people: let them share their perspective. It is enlightening.

In my attempt to be a good ally to trans people, I have already begun to question trans representation on screen critically – from the habit of casting cis people in the role of trans characters, to the way trans people (as with queer people in general) have a habit to die disproportionately on screen, to the “horrible surprise I’m trans” trope… The documentary covers all that, but a lot more systematically than my observations and occasional research ever did.

Thus the film manages to paint a very comprehensive picture of the extremely limited narratives that Hollywood, or the media in general, affords trans people, and have done for decades. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but those just make the rule more visible.

Even more valuable to me than the general tapestry of representation, though, were the many interviews with trans people from “the business” sharing their perspective, both on a professional level (what is it like to work in such an environment) and a personal one: how can one shape a fulfilling life and sense of identity when all you ever hear and see are stories about how sad, disgusting, or dangerous “people like you” are? In addition to those points of view, it was just such a joy to see the many trans people working in the field in spite of everything.

There generally was a rather joyful note to the film that was rather unexpected given its content. But this is not a film that falls into the same pitfalls it criticizes and is all doom and gloom. And that is just wonderful.

Summarizing: should be required viewing for anybody interested in film.