Transgender in Film

Boys Don't Cry, starring a young Hilary Swank, is based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgender teen who decided to lead a life as a male. Unlike Maria Felix in La monja alférez, Swank's performance as a male character in Boys Don't Cry is believable. In fact, the film won 43 awards and was considered to be one of the most controversial films of the decade. Touching upon issues of sexuality, confusion and oppression, the film raised awareness of the injustices that people of transgender face today. 


While films such as La monja alférez focused on the beauty of the transgender characters, films such as Boys Don't Cry and Transamerica are aware of the room for change and advocacy.They focus on the reality of oppression and how believable and credible the characters are. These films go beyond a simple story. They allow us to raise questions, provide room to interact with the masses, and affect the way we perceive gender. 


Below are clips of the trailers for Transamerica and Boys Don't Cry.