Movie Love #1: What To See At Translations For Friday/Saturday

Friday, May 4, 2018 | 7:00 PM

Victor Villanueva; 2016; Philippines; 90 min.; in Filipino, Visayan, and Tagalog with English subtitles

“Jesus is dead,” declares Iyay, the matriarch of the family, igniting this delightfully absurd and utterly charming road comedy. Jesus is her estranged husband, so she and the reluctant children—transgender son Jude; Hubert, who has Down syndrome: Jay the slacker; and puppy Judas—all set off through the picturesque Philippine countryside to the wake. Full of gloriously strange and wonderfully weird characters, this rollicking film recalls the random and quirky nature of classic comedies like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, while also dealing with personal heartbreak and relationships in a genuine and affecting story, redefining what it truly means to be a family.

Content Warning: Nudity/Non-Explicit Sexual Situations, Vulgar Language

Opening Short: FOR A CHANGE

Keren Nir; 2016; Israel; 4 min; in Hebrew with English subtitles.

This nonfiction animated short uses a witty, kinetic visual style to convey some of the day-to-day challenges of the trans male narrator’s adolescence.

Content Warning: Nudity/Non-Explicit Sexual Situations

Friday, May 4, 2018 | 9:30 PM

Anna Muylaert; 2016; Brazil; 83 min.; in Portuguese with English subtitles

A gender-fluid teen discovers the meaning of identity and belonging in this Brazilian indie drama, written and directed by Anna Muylaert. Pierre (Naomi Nero) is blindsided when their mother is arrested for a crime committed long ago: taking newborn Pierre from the birth mother at the hospital, and raising them as her own. With this life-shattering news, Pierre embarks on a fraught journey involving their biological family in an unfamiliar, affluent, and stringently heteronormative segment of Brazilian society.

Content Warning: Implied Violence, Depiction or Discussion of Suicide, Nudity/Explicit Sexual Situations/Drug Use/Non-Explicit Sexual Situations

Opening Short: TRITIYA

Vishnu Prasad; 2017; India; 17 min.; in Malayalam with English subtitles

After discovering their roommate’s suicide, Sandeep is drawn into an introspective journey steeped in Indian mythology and the strict gender binaries of their childhood. A gut-wrenching but ultimately uplifting portrayal of growing up third gender in southern India.

Content Warning: Non-Explicit Sexual Situations/Implied Violence/Discussion or Depiction of Suicide

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 12:00 PM

Sam Hampton; 2017; USA; 62 min.

Director Sam Hampton brings heart to this transgender-transition film with a story of celebration, health, and unconditional love. A much-needed portrayal of biracial trans and gender-nonconforming lives in America, this documentary chronicles the transition of Zo Thorpe and the sympathetic response of his family. But CHANGE IN THE FAMILY is about so much more than the transition experience; it speaks to the complexity of young adulthood, being a person of color, having a biracial identity, and coming out as trans and gender-nonconforming. Zo’s story provides hope for a time when portraying this type of experience is no longer so unusual.

Opening Short: AMERICA IN TRANSITION: EPISODE 2: A FAMILY MATTER

André Pérez; 2017; USA; 19 min.

Dezjourn’s career as a black trans model takes off, but he wonders if his mother will be able to accept his gender identity when cancer threatens to end her life.

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 2:30 PM

Shorts collection:

COSMOPOLITAN.COM’S “I AM BEAUTIFUL”: PEPPERMINT

Jason Ikeler; 2017; USA; 3 min.

Peppermint shares how she used drag to transition and live her life as the woman she’s always been.

Content Warning: Depiction of Graphic Violence, Swearing or Verbal Abuse

ANGELA

Sean Horlor & Steve Adams; 2016; Canada; 11 min.

Explore a week in the life of Angela, a Canadian roller derby jammer and transgender rights activist.

MUXES

Ivan Olita; 2016; USA; 10 min.; in Spanish with English subtitles

In the southern Mexican town of Juchitán, the indigenous community is not divided simply into males and females. The Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes”: men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned limbo between two genders.

TIME MARCHES ON AND SO DO WE

Kim Boekbinder & Jim Batt; 2017; USA; 4 min.

Narrator Laverne Cox takes us on an animated journey through trans history and resistance.

Content Warning: Implied Violence

AJE IJO: 7 REFLECTIONS

Kiana Harris; 2017; USA; 14 min.

Featuring beautiful cinematography and original music, this locally produced dance film is a meditation on the humanity, vulnerability, and resiliency of the black and African diaspora, in particular those whose identities interrupt the Western gender binary.

LADY EVA

Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson; 2017; USA; 11 min.; English and Tongan with English subtitles

A brave young woman sets off on a journey to become her true self in the conservative Pacific Island kingdom of Tonga—with a little inspiration from Tina Turner.

Content Warning: Implied Violence

PURITY

Pedro Vikingo; 2018; Spain; 5 min.; in Spanish with English subtitles

A refreshing, celebratory look into the truth, spirit, and hearts of trans children in Spain.

SAN FRANCISCO TWO-SPIRIT POWWOW

Matika Wilbur; 2017; USA; 4 min.

The Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow is inclusive and welcoming to all and honors those who cannot be there to dance, whether due to shame or violence.

Content Warning: Discussion or Depiction of Suicide

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARSHA

Reina Gossett & Sasha Wortzel; 2017; USA; 14 min.

This is the story of extraordinary transgender rights activists, pioneers, and friends Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, in the hours before the Stonewall riots. Magical realism, glitter, and an eye for detail bring this beautifully styled historic tale to new heights.

Content Warning: Implied Violence

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 4:30 PM

Samuel Neff; 2017; USA; 103 min.

Religion and trans issues intersect in this showcase of biblical scholar and actor Peterson Toscano, who casts a light on gender-nonconforming characters featured in some of the most well-known stories in scripture. His one-man show asks of the texts, “Who is transgressing and transcending gender?” with creativity, humor, and thought-provoking results. Director Samuel Neff bolsters Toscano’s performance with footage of the actor’s own lectures reflecting on his work, producing a film accessible to audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the Bible.

Content Warning: Non-Explicit Sexual Situations/Implied Violence

Opening Short: COSMOPOLITAN.COM’S “I AM BEAUTIFUL”: PASTOR MEGAN

Jason Ikeler; 2017; USA; 4 min.

Reverend Dr. Megan Rohrer opens up about faith and gender as an out transgender minister.

Content Warning: Swearing or Verbal Abuse/Implied Violence/Discussion or Depiction of Rape

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Silas Howard; 2017; USA; 53 min.

Acclaimed filmmaker Silas Howard shows us how transgender and gender-nonconforming people transcend their own experiences and lead multifaceted lives. Profiled are an attorney who first faced adversity in a Japanese internment camp, a makeup artist on the cutting edge of a premier cosmetics company, a young actor-in-training coping with unstable housing, an advocate for transgender equality who learned to be a champion for her community and herself, a counselor who leads her mentee by example, and a minister with a congregation very different from himself. Despite their differences, all have overcome hardships to serve their communities and share their unique perspectives.

Content Warning: Discussion of Rape/Discussion of Self-Harm, Vulgar Language

Opening Short 1: TAILOR

Calí dos Anjos; 2017; Brazil; 10 min.; in Portuguese with English subtitles

TAILOR is a transgender cartoonist whose web page illustrates other trans people’s experiences and challenges.

Content Warning: Nudity, Vulgar Language

Opening Short 2: SOMETHING ABOUT ALEX

Reinout Hellenthal; 2017; Netherlands; 18 min.; in Dutch with English subtitles

This enigmatic coming-of-age tale will pull at your heartstrings, emphasizing the importance of supporting youth who bravely proclaim their right to be different to a society that is often merciless and cruel.

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 7:00 PM

Anahita Ghazvinizadeh; USA/Qatar; 80 min.; in English and Farsi with English subtitles

THEY is the hauntingly beautiful journey of J, a nonbinary youth in the Chicago suburbs who struggles daily to understand their place in the world—and their own mind and heart. This debut film by writer-director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh gives viewers as close to a first-hand experience of transitioning as possible, as well as a glimpse of what life would be like if being trans were normalized. Allowed to evolve, think, and grow, Rhys Fehrenbacher as J portrays one of the most fully developed trans characters on screen. Ghostly cinematography by Carolina Costa brilliantly supports the naturalistic performances in this movingly poetic film.

Opening Short: POLYMORPH

Mike Hooves; 2017; Canada; 5 min.

An experimental, genderf*ck portrait of a body playfully exploring, this futuristic short is tactilely satisfying and a testament to the profound beauty of the trans* body.

Saturday, May 5, 2018 | 9:30 PM

Gerardo Calagui; 2017; Philippines; 72 min.; in Tagalog with English subtitles

Unapologetically grim and yet endearing, THOSE LONG HAIRED NIGHTS takes the viewer on a nightmarish journey through Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines from the POV of several trans inhabitants. This loose confederation of erotic masseuses, drug smugglers, and sex workers reveal how they navigate their pimps, their violent johns, and their impoverished families. Shot in a cinema verité style that follows the daily lives of the characters in separate vignettes, this refreshing feature debut provides a rich and complex narrative that pulls no punches and still makes the viewer care deeply about its characters.

Content Warning: Drug Use/Nudity/Explicit Sexual Situations/Graphic Violence/Discussion or Depiction of Rape

Opening Short: AARSA

Kawa Hatef; 2016; India; 18 min.; in English and Hindi with English subtitles

Raju, who works day in and day out cleaning a dance studio to support himself and his mother, finds himself observing both the instructor and her students. This short film organically intertwines the sounds of traditional Indian dance and the fabrics worn by dancers with soft pastel colors.

Content Warning: Identity Based Abuse or Harassment