''Transparent'' is a 2005
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
written, directed, and produced by Jules Rosskam. Its title is a play on the words “trans” and “parent” implying the invisibility of
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
parenting in society today. The documentary follows 19 female-to-male transgender individuals from 14 different states who have given birth to, and in most cases, gone on to raise, their biological children and the challenges they face while transitioning.
The film is most well known for its viewing at the Paris's International Feminist Festival, and was featured in the September 2006 issue of ''
Curve
In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line, but that does not have to be straight.
Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point. This is the definition that ...
'' magazine as one of the Ten Must-See Gender Documentaries, represented as one of the best examples of New Trans Cinema alongside well-known films such as ''
Transamerica'', ''
Boys Don't Cry'' and ''
Soldier's Girl
''Soldier's Girl'' is a 2003 biographical drama film written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Frank Pierson. It is based on a story of the relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams and the events that led up to Barry's murder by a ...
''.
Press about ''Transparent''
, ''Transparent'' official site
Synopsis
Transparent follows the lives of 19 transgender men as they recall their encounters giving birth to and raising children while transitioning. For most, they did not view it as a weird concept to explain to their kids, especially at a young age, because none of the politics had to go into their explanation, they could simply state the facts and the children were accepting of that. For example, the common explanation to their children was that they were “born with a girl body but a boy heart.” In addition, they still felt as though they were their child's mother because biologically, they were, they just were no longer a mother figure. However, most of them were still being referred to by their child as “mom”.
Although most of them were in agreement about the issues discussed, the topic of how they felt during pregnancy was a little different. Some felt that it was the only time they felt right with their bodies and they enjoyed the experience overall, while others felt humiliated and like it was a slap in the face – concrete evidence this wasn't who they really were.
Cast
*Matt (Los Angeles, CA)
*Ricky (Oakland, CA)
*Andrew (Butlerville, IN)
*Kosse (Westfield, MA)
*Nick (Denver, CO)
*Matthew (Topeka, KS)
*Dan (Lincoln, NE)
*Terry (Lawton, OK)
*Kim (Longmont, CO)
*Raven (Hubbardston, MA)
*Alex (DC Area)
*Rene (Ft. Collins, CO)
*Brandon (Oakland, CA)
*Jay (Dayton, OH)
*Logan (Birmingham, AL)
*Joey (Dallas, TX)
*Jarek (St. Louis, MO)
*Justin (Brooklyn, NY)
*Thomas (Weed, CA)
Production
MamSir Productions and directed, produced, and edited by Jules Rosskam with the help of Anat Salomon, Transparent was also contributed to with footage by Dyke TV
Dyke TV was founded and created by Ana Maria Simo, playwright and cofounder of Lesbian Avengers; Linda Chapman, theater director and producer; and Mary Patierno, independent film and video maker. The first episode was aired on June 8, 1993, in N ...
, the Gavin-Smyth Family, and Evan Schwartz.
Additional Thanks to: Lani Lacovelli, Elizabeth Cline, Elizabeth McCarthy, Anezka Sebek, Sam Feder, Lori Barrett, Chris Baronofski, Marilyn and Skip Rosskam, Tristan Taormino, Bennington College, In the Life Media, the New York City Trans Community, and the Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation.
Special thanks to: Alex Fox, Andrew Kelley, Brandon Wolfe, Dan Franks, Jay Moore, Jarek Steele, Joey Vasques, Justin Cascio, Kim R Lee, Kosse Feral, Logan England, Matt Rice, Matthew York, Nick Sarchet, Raven Kaldera, Rene Hickman, Ricky Levya, Terry Siegrist, Thomas More II, Anat Salomon, Desi del Valle.
Donors: Merle and Steve Rosskam, Marilyn and Skip Rosskam, The Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance, Emily Walker, Pam and Michale Burger, Nancy Shrier, Lani Lacovelli, Tim Carey, Kim R Lee, John and Bonney Teare.
Screenings
2009:
* Manchester Pride Film Festival
2008:
* Kansai Queer Film Festival (Japan)
* WTTW Public Broadcasting (Chicago)
2007:
* Out and Equal Workplace Summit
* Vancouver Queer Film and Video Festival
* The Netherlands Transgender Film Festival
* Fairytales Film Festival
* Athens LGBT film Festival
* Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
* Freiburger Lesbenfilmtage
* National Women's Studies Association Conference
* Munich Women's Filmfest Bimovie
* WPIRG Rainbow Reel Film Festival
* Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg
* Image + Nation
* Paris Lesbian Film Festival
2006:
* Hamburg International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
* 1st annual Warsaw LGBT Film Festival
* North Carolina LGBT Film Festival
* Pink Days Amsterdam
* Paris Feminist Film Festival
* Northwestern University
* Lesgaicinemadrid Film Festival 2006
* Guelph International Film Festival
* Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
* Glasgay! Film Festival
* Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival
* Florence Queer Film Festival
* Inside/Out Festival Toronto
* London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
* Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center
2005:
* Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance
* Mardis Gras Film Festival
* The Pioneer Theater
* Reeling: Chicago LGBT Film Festival
* Outfest
* Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
* NewFest
* San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Awards and nominations
*1st annual Warsaw LGBT Film Festival: Best New Film
*Inside/Out Festival Toronto: Best Documentary
References
*Kane, Matt. "Transgender Characters That Changed Film and Television." GLAAD. N.p., 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 5 June 2015.
*Willis, Raquel. "Hollywood, You're Halfway There With Trans Representation." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 5 June 2015.
*Siede, Caroline. "Writing For Justice: Diversity in Our Entertainment Matters - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times." Writing For Justice: Diversity in Our Entertainment Matters. N.p., 27 May 2015. Web. 5 June 2015.
*Rosskam, Jules. "Transparent." Jules Rosskam. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2015.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transparent (film)
Transgender-related documentary films
Films about trans men
American documentary films
2006 films
2006 LGBT-related films
LGBT parenting in the United States
American LGBT-related films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films