Documentaries, Shows, Films, Interviews, and Games.

Emanuele Crialese, a trans man born in 1965, directed this semi-autobiographical film about a trans boy's relationship with his mother. Beyond the trans themes, the movie primarily deals with family dysfunction, misogyny, spousal control, domestic abuse, and infidelity. Andrea (alternatively called Andrew in the translated English version of this film) is the oldest of three children. His brother overeats, seems to be suffering from pica (he is shown eating some kind of topical ointment), and defecates indoors on the carpet. This is due to the domestic conflict which is affecting all children. At its most disturbing, this film shows Andrea crawling into his parent's bedroom to save his mother from being raped.

The movie overall oscillates between lighthearted, idyllic childhood scenes and confronting instances of assault and harassment. Ultimately, this is a good film, although it did feel slightly unfinished when I got to the end. I liked the explorations of Andrea's gender identity and frustration. He tries to figure out who he is through fantasies involving God, aliens, and adoption. He has a summer romance with Sara, a local girl who accepts him as a boy. They play games together and have their first kiss.

Kat, a teenage orphan, is sent to an all-girls Catholic school. One single male student resides at the school; Raúl, an artistic Latino trans boy voiced by Sam Zelaya, who is also trans. Raúl is the first trans character featured in a stop-motion animated film. You can read more here.

This short film, which is watchable here, is also titled The Second Puberty of Trans Men. It is a lovely non-fiction piece where trans men are interviewed about their experiences of finally feeling comfortable in their bodies. One trans man laughs as he recalls being surprised by the growth of arse hair. Several men describe the process of testosterone (and transitioning overall) being less linear than they had expected, with changes ebbing and flowing throughout the years.

The word "clit" is used by one trans man to reference his bottom growth so, if that will make you dysphoric, proceed with caution. If you're sensitive to needle use, you should be aware that uncensored footage of a testosterone injection is shown.

You can read my full review here. This show stars non-binary actor of colour Vico Ortiz as Jim Jimenez, a gender-bending pirate who canonically goes by they/them pronouns. I would not recommend this show due to a scene of sexual harassment, and one scene of sexual assault, specifically because those scenes are treated as comedic. In my review, I initially recommend watching the show, but you'll find that season 2 crossed a line for me. If a man aggressively kissed a woman while she verbally indicated that she didn't want to be touched, and that she wasn't consenting, it would be assault, right? But Our Flag Means Death would have you believe that, when the gender roles are reversed, it's no longer assault. No matter how much LGBT+ representation this show has, that shit's not acceptable.

The synopsis is as follows: "Profiles of two transitioning people attempt to answer if transgenderism is a choice or if some of us are simply born into the wrong bodies." I mean, I think we know the answer! But I get the sense that this was made with cis audiences in mind, potentially seeking to change hearts and minds, and I do see the value of a trans-positive documentary with such a description. One of the interviewees is Jessie, who is transitioning hormonally with testosterone. You can watch the trailer here.

This is a terrible, silly, campy, gay, trans short film. Lots of slurs, drinking, smoking, explicit content, and drama. Trans-directed, starring amateur trans actors Radcliffe Adler and Marten Katze. Just a bit of fun! But probably don't watch it if you're sensitive to the f-slur. You can watch it here.

In this documentary short, a trans man named Neal and his daughter talk about Neal's decision to transition in his sixties. Among other things, he discusses the complexity of being attracted to lesbians, his struggle with internalised misandry, regretting not making changes earlier, and not communicating with his daughter enough throughout his journey. You can watch this short film here.

This show aims to de-stigmatise and demystify human bodies. Each episode is split into three parts: Teen Talk, The Naked Brigade, and The Naked Exchange. In Teen Talk, "teenagers in a supervised classroom environment talk about body issues, and get to see naked models of all ages and body types". In The Naked Brigade, "an individual with body confidence issues, supported by a team of body-positive people, faces a challenge to help them overcome it". In The Naked Exchange, "two people with similar body journey stories, who are at different stages on their journeys, meet up for a conversation and, if they wish and feel comfortable, share their naked bodies".

After hearing that a post-phalloplasty trans man was featured in episode three's The Naked Exchange segment, I immediately rushed to watch it. I quickly found myself profoundly uncomfortable with the beginning of the show-- not because there is anything wrong with the content and, in fact, I support sex education which pushes back against harmful myths perpetuated by pornography social media. Rather, the anatomically-correct discussions of "female anatomy" made me dysphoric. That doesn't mean such discussion is bad, not in the slightest, and I'd have been glad of this education when I was a teenager. So, while I support such discussions occurring, I did skip around and exclusively watch The Naked Exchange segments, which featured a late-twenties White British trans man (Lucian) and an older, post-transition White British trans man (Finn).

Lucian and Finn discuss their transitions, their differing backgrounds, and their experiences of maleness. Lucian talks about undergoing top surgery only six months prior to the episode, and says he wants to have bottom surgery in the future. Finn discusses coming out at thirty-seven years of age, having six surgeries to complete his genital reconstruction, and the happiness he now enjoys. All questions asked of the trans men, by the interviewer and by each other, were respectful and exactly what I would've wanted from a show such as this.

In a non-sexual, almost clinical setting, Finn undresses and shows Lucian his phalloplasty result. Lucian asks questions about Finn's sensation, how the surgical result was achieved, how long the process took, and other particulars. I wish this kind of representation had been around earlier, and I'm so happy it's here now. At a time when phalloplasty is still widely misunderstood, it's wonderful that we're able to see full-frontal nudity of a post-transition FTM guy. I'm so grateful to Finn for his bravery, especially considering the transphobia which abounds in his country.

I can't comment on the other segments (Teen Talk and The Naked Brigade), as I only watched the phalloplasty/FTM-centric scenes. But, from what I did watch, a disabled non-binary person participated in The Naked Parade and was affirmed by the other participants, which is very cool. The show also features cancer survivors, older people, post-pregnancy women, and quadriplegic people.

Prepare for anatomically-correct language when Finn and the interviewer are discussing his pre- and post-op anatomy. Also, be aware that Finn discusses disordered eating, Alcohol Use Disorder, and other struggles which occurred due to his gender dysphoria going unmanaged.

You can read about Finn's experience filming Naked Education here. He has also written a book about undergoing phalloplasty! More info here.

Sabrina Wu, an actor who describes themself as transmasc, gender non-conforming, and non-binary, stars in Joy Ride as a non-binary character named Deadeye. Deadeye is canonically trans and also uses they/them pronouns but, according to Wu's interview with Variety, they asked that Deadeye not have a coming-out scene. Instead, reportedly, Deadeye's gender is normalised as an average, everyday character trait, rather than the focus of a plotline. I like the sound of that! And this looks like fun, good representation. Before you watch the trailer, please know that it features hard drug use and a racial slur against Asian people. (Hilariously, though, the girl targeted with the slur immediately punches the racist kid in the face.)

James Ford, a White trans man, came out when contestants were asked to design looks inspired by their childhoods. According to this article, "Ford then opened up about his gender transition, revealing how clothing played a role in how he viewed himself."

The synopsis is as follows: "Marvin is a trans man living in Sweden, in a long-term marriage with his partner Ivan and their two children. His unexpected separation from his homeland for several months, as well as the slowing down of the entire process of physical and legal sex change during the COVID19 pandemic, intensifies the coexistence between partners and offspring, relationships with relatives and closest co-workers. The period of muted timelessness offers the film's protagonists a space to provide mutual support, acceptance of Marvin's gender identity, and a redefinition of roles within the family. Writing LGBTQ+ novels in which Marvin has created a male alter ego has played an essential role in his discovery and experience of his trans authenticity."

In the trailer, Marvin mentions his mother's intense transphobia, and discusses her assertions that his transition amounts to selfishness and self-harm.

NOTE: This documentary, as far as I can tell, is completely unrelated to Un Homme Heureux (2023), a fictional film which translates to A Happy Man and focusses on an FTM transition. They were released in the same year and titled the same thing, apparently by coincidence.

The synopsis is as follows: "Leo, a trans man, and his cis and straight friend, Eleanor, go away for an impromptu weekend trip, during which they uncover old secrets, new challenges, and find the answer to the age-old question: can bad sex and good friends mix?" Leo is played by White non-binary actor Bobbi Salvör Menuez. You can learn more and watch the trailer here.

This film stars Lío Mehiel, a Puerto Rican and Greek trans actor, as a gay trans man. The synopsis, as described by Sundance, is as follows: "Feña, a young trans guy bustling through life in New York City, is afflicted with an incessantly challenging day that resurrects ghosts from his past. Laundromats, subway turnstiles, and airport transfers are the hectic background to this emotional drama that overlaps past, present, and future." The trailer is here.

Kai Clancy, the subject of this documentary short, has long been an advocate for First Nations gender-diverse people, in the land now known as Australia. For those of us who have seen his videos in the past, when he was much younger, it is wonderful to witness him as his bearded, older self.

This short film opens with the words of Kai’s father. He says, “Kai is a strong First Nation warrior. Wakka Wakka, Wulli Wulli.” He goes on to say, “Amongst our tribe, the wedge-tailed eagle is one of our totems. It means guardian and keeper of the law, for family and language. And Kai does that well. He is a great warrior.” It was so beautiful to hear Kai’s father speaking those words, and to watch as he ceremonially painted Kai. Kai speaks about his relationship with his culture, how his gender is received by his community, his marriage and relationship, and his transition. All in all, a very sweet and sensitive portrayal that I wish was longer!

You can watch this short film here, although you may need an Australian VPN.

You can read my full review here. This is a typical superhero show in a lot of ways, but the inclusion of an FTM storyline is really nice, and it’s well handled. The trans man, Cullen Row, is played by trans male actor Tyler DiChiara.