Trinidad

Description

Trinidad uncovers Trinidad, Colorado's transformation from Wild West outpost to ''sex change capital of the world,'' and follows three transgender women who may steer the rural ranching town toward becoming the ''transsexual mecca.'' Each woman has her own perspective on the procedure and on the very definition of ''transgender,'' underscoring the diversity and vibrancy of the transgender community as a whole. The film also examines the perspectives of the people who live in the small Western frontier town and their often surprising views. Award Winner Best Documentary at the Cleveland International Film Festival '' Trinidad succeeds in pretending the materials for a better understanding of transsexual people and stands to be very instrumental in making the world outside of Trinidad, Colorado, a safer place for them to live.'' --Film Threat ''The universal themes and the compelling narrative quality of the film make it a must-see.'' --Ellen Huang, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) ''Who knew that Trinidad, Colorado, with a population of 9,000 was the sex change capital of the world? This documentary about the small town follows several of its transgender residents, including Dr. Marci Bowers--who is herself now one of the world's top doctors for reassignment surgery--capturing the subtle moments of people whose whole lives are love in various states of performance and nuance.'' -- The Advocate ''Fascinating. Avoiding 'before and after' sensationalism, filmmakers Raval and Hodges trace the women's personal stories with curiosity and sensitivity, using quaint, rural Trinidad as a mountain-girdled backdrop.'' -- Austin American-Statesman Jay Hodges is a documentarian currently making a film that follows the transition of the Austin animal center to a no-kill facility. He is also a book editor and has worked in the editorial departments of Routledge, Penguin, and Martha Stewart Omnimedia. He has written for many publications, including In These Times and Time Out New York . PJ Raval's work has been showcased at Sundance and Cannes. He's been awarded the ASC Charles B. Lang Jr. Heritage Award and the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography. He was featured in American Cinematographer and shot the 2009 Academy Award-nominated and 2008 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Grand Jury winner Trouble the Water. Review: Dr. Bowers is a realist and gets on with her life, it's great to see. - Obviously this isn't really meant for a wide release but the production is very good. Clips of local hillbillies who disapprove is a little unneeded - I only noticed because it's right in the beginning. It's nice to hear about Dr. Biber and Dr. Bowers and how it really was a low key operation until a few people got all bent for no reason. The subplot was pretty interesting about 2 women who want to build a recovery house for post-op patients and run out of time and money. They assumed (always a bad idea) that patients would stay in there house despite it being unfinished and dangerous. One gets all bitter at the end blaming everyone else for her failure to succeed and she ducks out of town. Of course, Dr. Bowers left town after the hospital got all stinky. She's a realist and gives it to you straight. She doesn't dilly-dally, which I really like. I do wish the producers made it longer - I mean, people who are interested in the topic can watch this stuff for hours. I would have liked to hear more about the processes and techniques that were changed over time at a deeper level. And of course it would have been nice to meet more visiting patients although the smart ones stay off camera! ;-) Review: Actually Pretty Good - I disagreed with the other reviewer but hey, that's what makes America great: we can disagree. Is this the definitive movie about transgenderism? No, but there aren't many documentaries about the transgender experience, and I thought that this was a worthy addition to the small library, especially when you include the "extra" of Dr. Bowers addressing a medical group about genital transformative surgery. It teaches, it entertains, and it opens a window on a little-seen part of humanity. If the topic interests you, I would recommend checking this one out.