''Trinidad'' is an American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

by Jay Hodges and

PJ Raval PJ Raval is a queer first-generation Filipinos, Filipino-United States, American filmmaker known for his documentary films about underrepresented subcultures and identities within the LGBT community, LGBTQ+ community. Raval is a Guggenheim Fell ...

. The film was screened at the IFP Market and IFP Rough Cuts Lab. In 2009, the film premiered on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

Synopsis

Dr. Stanley Biber began conducting

sex reassignment therapy Sex reassignment therapy or medical transition is the medical aspect of gender transition, that is, modifying one's sex characteristics to better suit one's gender identity. It can consist of hormone therapy to alter secondary sex characteristi ...

Trinidad, Colorado Trinidad is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,329 as of the 2020 census. Trinidad lies north of Raton, New Mexico, and s ...

, in 1969. Dr. Marci Bowers, a former patient of Biber, took over his practice after his death. ''Trinidad'' focuses on Bowers and two of her patients at different stages of their transition from male to female.

Cast

Stanley Biber Stanley H. Biber (May 4, 1923 – January 16, 2006) was an American physician who was a pioneer in sex reassignment surgery, performing thousands of procedures during his long career.Fox, Margalit (21 January 2006)Stanley H. Biber, 82, Surgeon Am ...

Marci Bowers Marci Lee Bowers (born January 18, 1958) is an American gynecologist and surgeon who specializes in Sex reassignment surgery, gender confirmation surgeries. Bowers is viewed as an innovator in gender confirmation/affirmation surgery, and is the ...

*Laura Ellis *Sabrina Marcus

Production

Development

Directors Jay Hodges and PJ Raval were intrigued by Trinidad's status as the "Sex Change Capital of the World" and that Marci Bowers, the surgeon of the town, had transgender history. Neither director lived in the town, so they filmed in intervals of several months at a time. In an interview with ''

Queerty ''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay-oriented lifestyle and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors. History ''Queerty'' was founded by David ...

'', Raval said, "Our intention was not to sensationalize or exploit but to create something where people can see the universal struggle for self-expression and give people an opportunity to explore these concepts of gender and gender identity." ''Trinidad'' received $4,000 for production and $7,000 for post-production through the

Austin Film Society The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1985 to exhibit independent, experimental, foreign and various other non-mainstream art films, the film society has grown from just film exhibition to fos ...

's Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund.

Music

''Trinidad'' features music by

Antony and the Johnsons Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators. Career British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label ...

The Cinematic Orchestra The Cinematic Orchestra is a British nu jazz and downtempo music group created in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe. The group is signed to independent record label Ninja Tune. The Cinematic Orchestra have produced four studio albums, ''Motion'' (1999), ...

, and

Julia Kent Julia Kent is a Canadian cellist and composer from Vancouver, Canada, and based in New York City, United States. She has performed as a member of Rasputina and with Antony and the Johnsons. Musical career Kent creates music using looped cell ...

Reception

Critical response

Eric Campos, writing for ''

Film Threat ''Film Threat'' is an online film review publication, and earlier, a national magazine that focused primarily on independent film, although it also reviewed videos and DVDs of mainstream films, as well as Hollywood movies in theaters. It first ...

'', gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "''Trinidad'' succeeds in presenting the materials for a better understanding of transsexual people and stands to be very instrumental in making the world outside of Trinidad, Colorado a safer place for them to live." '' IFC''s Stephen Salto commented, "Hodges and Raval arrive in town just in time to shoot the construction of Morning Glow, a recovery house that not only provides a dramatic arc for the story, but slyly demonstrates how post-ops are just like anyone else, in moments as simple as arguing over the proper trim for the doors of the house."

Accolades

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0780481 2008 documentary films 2008 films American documentary films Transgender-related documentary films American LGBT-related films 2008 LGBT-related films Films about trans women Transgender and medicine 2000s English-language films 2000s American films