Change in the Family

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Available Summary:

"Follow the journey of gender-nonconforming Zo in his transition from young woman to trans man and the emotional process of coming out to his family." -TubiTV.

Jack's Summary:

This documentary is pretty tough to watch, because cis family members are allowed long monologues that involve misgendering Zo and using his deadname. That said, their perspectives are somewhat balanced out by scenes where Zo talks about what he went through, and is currently going through.

The film feels messy, upsetting, difficult, and complicated in a way that is very authentic to the early-transition stages. I wouldn’t call it a cautionary tale, in the typical sense of the term, but it is a very unvarnished look at the ways a family can react when a trans man begins his journey. Ultimately, the documentary ends on a positive note, and you’re not left feeling depressed or hopeless. I almost view the film as gentle warning to early/pre-transition guys, who might not know what to expect from their family members, and may not be able to see beyond conflict to the more accepting feelings that cis people might struggle to express.