Tangerine (2015): A trans odyssey in search of existence
In 2015, trans lives were on the spotlight due to TV shows like Transparent, and I Am Cait — the last one brings Caitlyn Jenner, considered the most famous openly transgender woman in the world. These screen productions raised discussions on trans lives, on how they have been marginalized and considered less of a human by society. We will always remember the black trans actress Laverne Cox, from the ground-breaking show Orange Is the New Black, as the one who has opened the doors for trans artists to be taken serious once her character in the series is given a humanized and multidimensional nuance. A lot of what was erroneously said about these individuals has been replaced by their own narratives and experiences. It is important that they tell their own stories because we do not want to perpetuate a single and prejudiced story about them. Yet, everything is far from perfect. Many trans people still struggle to have their gender identity recognized by the law and to be socially accepted. Another issue to be taken into account is that not all trans folks transition and society confines them to the idea that they can only be considered real “woman” or “man” if they have gone through it. Worse, society doesn’t even recognize the “transgender umbrella”, a term that refers to a wide-ranging number of people with different gender identities.
The Danish Girl and Tangerine were also 2015 productions which portrayed trans individuals. Although the first movie tells us a true trans story , it was protagonized by a cis male actor. It had positive accomplishments, however, being a huge box office hit at that time and leading the audience to be touched by the story of Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Differently from The Danish Girl, Tangerine brings two trans actresses as protagonists. They belong to the part of Hollywood that we don’t know, just like we don’t really know the trans world. Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) has just gotten out of prison after 28 days and meets her friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) at a donut shop in Hollywood on Christmas Eve. Both are sex workers and Sin-Dee hears that her boyfriend and pimp, Chester (James Ransone) has cheated on her with a white fish, a slang for a white cis woman. The movie was shot on on iPhone 5s providing intimacy between audience and characters. Even though the characters’ background reveal a sad and realistic portrayal of trans people — the lack of opportunities lead many of them to the dangerous world of prostitution — that doesn’t mean that they are confined to subjects of much prurient curiosity. While Sin-Dee walks across L.A pursuing her rival, Alexandra walks to invite her pals to a Club in which she will perform that night.
Throughout this journey, we learn that women like them are invisible — no one shows up at Alexandra’s performance except for Sin-Dee and her rival— but they have each other to count on. After hours of dragging the “white fish” down the streets, the two share moments of tenderness in the club’s restroom, and that’s because they understand each other, they can see each other as equals and by equals I mean, they are on the same boat. It is interesting to notice that after leaving the club, Dinah (the rival) mocks Alexandra’s performance and Sin-Dee for believing that she was the only one for Chester, but is left alone in the streets when she tries to return to the brothel where she works at. Sean Baker did a great job in Tangerine, proving that as much as these women try to claim themselves as either artists, or soulmate to another person, the world is too cruel to embrace them. The protagonists’ odyssey in search of existence is ongoing and that, of course, is also applied to reality. Women, especially those who are trans and POC, have felt that their lives have been erased. This movie plays an essential protest against their silence. It ends with the following message: We can see each other, but can you see me?
In 2016, during 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards, actress Mya Taylor gave a touching speech as she was the first trans actress to be recognized at the ceremony. She called for parity for trans actors in Hollywood claiming that she came from almost nothing and her life did a total 360 after the movie. Tangerine went on screen at a number of festivals and although it is a frame of a much more complex reality, it has shown that these individuals exist and they are real. As much as right-wing politicians have tried to exclude them from their political agendas, this is a special call-out to Trump and Bolsonaro, these pigs will not prevail because trans folks are watching them and they don’t need these villains’ validation!
Sources:
https://www.indiewire.com/2016/02/watch-mya-taylors-historic-independent-spirit-awards-acceptance-speech-63855/
http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2017/12/31/tangerine-essential-cinema-2015/
