Pink or blue. Male or Female. Mommy or Daddy. Categories that we all take for granted
are blown wide open in transparent, a documentary film about 19 female-to-male transsexuals
living in the United States who have given birth.
transparent focuses on its subjects' lives as parents – revealing the diverse ways
in which each person reconciles this part of their history now that they identify
as male and are perceived by the world, but only sometimes by their children, as men.
The first-person stories in transparent explain how changing ones gender is dealt
with and impacts the relationships, if at all, within these families.
The subjects resonate powerfully as parents and human beings dealing with issues like
single parenthood, teen pregnancy and their children's emotional and physical development.
But through these extraordinary men, the film challenges like never before, the ways
that we relate to one another, particularly within our immediate families, based on
gender.
Information contributed by the artist to the TMP
Following the stories of transgender men who have given birth and are raising their
children, Transparent will open your eyes to a whole new understanding of "Mommy"
and "Daddy".
Providing a twist on the usual transition story, the trans men discuss how their decision
to become men affects the relationship they have with their children and offer insight
into a broad range of topics such as the sensation of being pregnant, the fear of
losing their families and the reactions of their extended families.
This honest and revealing portrayal of parenting showcases the multiple ways in which
families transition together.
“19th Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival.” Out on Screen & Vancity, 2007.
