Trans Filmmaker Jules Rosskam’s provocative and personal documentary investigating dominant constructions of trans-masculine identity, gender, and the nature of community.
Blending fiction, nonfiction, and experimental film genres, against a trans narrative employs a genre-busting combination of intimate diary footage, stylized dramatic scenes, spoken word performance, faux audition tapes, and roundtable interview footage to explore and initiate a dialogue between feminists, queers, and transfolk about the way we construct personal and historical narratives. Careful attention is paid to the ways generation, race, class, and culture impact our understandings of gender.
By sensitively framing the film through his own personal journey within the trans-masculine community, Rosskam creates an electric and original investigation into gender politics and social self-identity.
against a trans narrative asks a series of provocative questions:
What does it mean to be ‘trans’? Is there an idealized perception of trans-masculine identity? What is the diversity of trans-masculine experience? Is there an ‘idealized’ community narrative?
Certain to spark lively community dialogue, this powerfully emotional film appeals to anyone who has ever struggled to reconcile their identity with the communities they belong to.
After a recent sold out world premiere screening at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the film is currently touring international and U.S. Festivals, including New Fest (New York LGBT Film Festival), Frameline (San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival) and Outfest Film Festival (Los Angeles).
FILMMAKER:
Jules Rosskam is an internationally acclaimed trans filmmaker, artist, educator and longtime activist who is dedicated to creating work that is by, for, and about trans/queer communities. Rosskam’s first feature film, transparent, which was released to critical acclaim and awards internationally and stateside, iis distributed by Frameline. He has also won awards for his short film F. Scott Fitzgerald Slept Here. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships, awards and grants, and is now in production on his third feature film, Transfeminism.
