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Transgender Pride
Lana, Nika, and Helen on the back of our float at the LGBT Pride Parade in West Hollywood. |
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Nadia's Interview
One of our Rose/Pomegranate characters and a queen of the underground ballroom scene, Nadia Milan, giving her personal interview |
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| Michael directs Hugo Braham in a music sequence. |
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| Jazzmun performing in Lovely Bouquet of Flowers. |
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| Jazzmun & David, creators of the play Lovely Bouquet of Flowers. |
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Who We Are
Jazzmun and David, creators of the play "Lovely Bouquet of Flowers", met with documentary filmmakers Michael and Madeleine and teamed up in an enthusiastic desire to create the timely and socially relevant Documentary "IN FULL BLOOM
...transcending gender," about the remarkable journey of 15 courageous actors (13 transgender, and 2 gay) as they prepare for this groundbreaking play. Based on interviews with people from all walks of life of trans experience, this entertaining and moving tour de force premiered in June 2013, at the renowned Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Theatre in Hollywood, Ca. Chronicling the fledgling actors as they hone their craft, IN FULL BLOOM Transcending Gender gives the viewer an extraordinary inside view into the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the Transgender World. Fiction becomes reality, when behind-the scenes and performance footage of the play are interwoven with compelling personal interviews from the cast, that deal with family, inner conflicts, coming out, surgery, hormones, and the complexities of sexual identity and orientation. By speaking to issues, such as relationships, spirituality, and careers, "IN FULL BLOOM
...transcending gender" challenges the viewer to move past stereotypes, and to see the commonalities we all share as human beings. As filmmakers it was important for us to create a platform for the actors to tell their own stories, in addition to the ones they re-enact in the play. There is no narrator. The voices are true and authentic.
The Bigger Picture
We are submitting our film to many of the leading film festivals throughout the year. With worldwide support from festivals and media outlets, we hope to help shape the dialogue regarding issues the transgender community faces each day. In addition, we want to bring attention to the intimate nature of who these people really are, beyond their stereotypes as portrayed by the media.
Specs
Our film is a Feature Film Documentary, approx. 90 min in length, and intertwines Cinema Verite-style footage of the actors’ daily lives, with rehearsals and preparations for the play; a Queen of the Universe pageant; the West Hollywood Pride Parade; one actor’s inauguration to The West Hollywood Transgender Advisory Board; the World Premiere of the play, and much, much more.
Questions we are raising:
How different/similar is your life from that of the transgender community?
Can people accept the difference between gender identity and gender orientation?
Is striving to blend into society important to the transgender community at large?
What/if any, conflicts exist between the gay and the transgender community?
How are members of the transgender community affected by society and vice versa?
How can we, as a society, implement changes to end the bullying and discrimination committed against the transgender community and their civil rights?
Is the transgender community the final civil rights frontier?
How can the transgender community overcome being pigeon-holed in the job market, gain access to better health care and have a larger voice in their own civil rights movement?
How You Can Help
By starting a dialogue, and spreading the word, you will directly affect the lives of not just the subjects of our film, but the community at large. Transgender people are here to stay and there is a current movement to understand them as they are becoming a part of the fabric of our society. By showing these people as they truly are, we are providing not just entertainment, but an education in order to dispel fear of those that are different.
A picture is worth a thousand words....
A law has been passed in California to allow bathroom privileges to those who identify as transgender. Identifying with the sex of your choice is an example of a basic human right that most of us take for granted every day. By joining us in celebrating the lives of these individuals, you are paving the way for normalization of a community that has been bullied, bashed, raped and murdered by the hundreds every year. In fact, you are helping to create a healthier and more accepting and enlightened society. |
