Netflix’s new documentary executive produced by Laverne Cox explores 100 years of transgender representation in film and television.
Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen takes a deep dive into the evolution of transgender representation in film and TV shows.
Through the eyes of transgender creatives, including executive producer Laverne Cox, the documentary explores portrayals of trans people, from dehumanising and painful depictions to more complex and heartfelt characters.
The Netflix documentary is directed by Sam Feder, who said: “first and foremost, I made this film for trans people … We needed to layout our story in this way so it could be owned.”
The transgender stars share their reactions and resistance to trans portrayals in movies as far back as the early 1900s to films The Crying Game and Boys Don’t Cry and TV shows like The L Word, Pose and more.
“I think the way trans people have been represented on screen has suggested that we aren’t real, have suggested that we’re mentally ill, that we don’t exist, And yet, here I am. Yet here we are, and we’ve always been here”.
“I never thought I’d live in a world where trans people would be celebrated. On or off the screen” Cox said in the documentary.
Peter Debruge from Variety said “Rather than making audiences feel bad about trans-themed movies they may have naively enjoyed in the past, it educates on the larger issues while unpacking a legacy of problematic representation.”
Ben Travis from Empire said: “A captivating and comprehensive overview of trans representations in the media that everyone should add to their Netflix watchlist”.
Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen is available to stream on Netflix now. Watch the trailer below:
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