(5th Post) Trans WoC Making Waves in Film : Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, and the Power of Tangerine
In comparison to television and streaming services, film(s) have a long way to go in getting their representations of trans people and stories correctly. Very few movies with any trans or gender variant characters that receive any sort of mainstream recognition or awards appeal and if they do cis-gender actors get the praise for their portrayal of trans characters. The 2015 indie film Tangerine goes against the grain in being genuine in its representation of the lives of trans women of color. Not only that, but the film was an indie hit and was a critical success. That success aimed mostly at the film’s two leads, Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez.
What is amazing about this movie, is the trust put into trans individuals who shared their stories to help shape the movie and make it as realistic as possible. This trust was also put in the hands of the stars who carried this movie, and it was both women’s first acting role. The fact that the budget was limited, but that’s not the focus of this (but it does show that studios are cautious to invest in the stories of trans people). But through the process of crafting the stories the (cis white) filmmakers looked at the trans people in the community to help shape their story. And this story also sheds the light on the lives of sex workers, regardless of gender. But the film gets a plus for looking at the intersections of peoples lives.
That leads to a pivotal point, that this movie is just more than the gender of it’s leads (and extras), it has a plot that goes beyond “transgender”, that is just an aspect of the characters (that does play into the situation these characters are in though). In a piece by The Advocate writer Daniel Reynolds looks at the film like this, “ Tangerine is ultimately a story about two friends who overcome obstacles together…it may be one of the most human stories of the year.” He continues, “the friends happen to be transgender sex workers searching for a cheating pimp is just icing on the cake.” Unlike other films it doesn’t make a spectacle of the trans aspect of the film.
This film is also groundbreaking in the recognition the lead actresses got from critics, that resulted in award nominations and victories. Both Taylor and Rodriguez were nominated for “Breakthrough Actor” at the 2015 Gotham Independent Film Awards, with Taylor ultimately winning the category and became the first trans women to win a Gotham award. And on a much more mainstream stage both received acting nominations at 31st Annual Independent Spirit Awards (Taylor for “Best Supporting Female” and Rodriguez for “Best Female Lead”), in which Taylor also took home the trophy. Which was a big deal as Taylor became the first trans actress to win a major acting award. There was also a campaign to get the women nominated for Academy Awards, which would have been historic as a trans actor or actress has never been nominated. These were huge strides for trans people of color in the media, as a light was shed on the trans talent there is in acting (and the trans talent in people of color). Which is a good comparison to the trans stories and cis-actors who got recognition. Neither Taylor or Rodriguez got the Oscar nomination (or anyone of color for that matter, but that’s a whole other issue), but Eddie Redmayne did get a nomination for his performance as Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl again showing the white cis actor get all the praise for their performance as gender variant or trans individuals. This also draws parallels to Hilary Swank and Jared Leto’s Oscar winning performances trans-masculine Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry and the fictional character Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club , award winning and praised performances for a cis people’s portrayal of a real trans person and a fictional one.
Regardless of the awards outcome, Tangerine has left it’s mark and shown that intersectional stories with non-cis leads can succeed and resonate with audiences. Taking a chance on trans people of color can pay off and the results can be happily surprising. Reynolds had this to say about the film’s impact, “ Taylor and her co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez have helped turned what might have remained a well-reviewed but little-recognized indie movie into a movement… these trans actresses are speaking frankly about their past experiences as sex workers in order to help move the needle. And they’re not afraid to address those who criticize Tangerine”
-Michael
Photo Credit
Helpful Articles Used in This Post: http://www.advocate.com/film/2015/12/29/tangerines-stars-have-turned-movie-movement
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/28/mya-taylor-tangerine-spirit-awards
It is really cool to read several of our classmates talk about this film in relation to their different projects. I agree whole-heartedly with the analysis that this movie isn't really about trans people. It's just a story about sorority that happens to have transgender characters. I think that is one of the elements that makes the narrative so powerful. Transgender characters are often portrayed as flat; in that, the only important quality is that they are transgender. It is nice to see that set aside to explore other facets in transgender experience in an intersectional way. It's exciting to see the movie is up for an award and that it's getting so much attention!













