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.
Sam Berliner. “Translations 2018 Program Final.” 2018. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a86d494b1ffb6251b62962f/t/5ed2e4ffbdbbdb299cca987b/1590879522466/Translations18_Program_final.pdf.
