Masc

Masc

6 Episodes

Spotlighting the rich stories and courageous lives of trans men, butch lesbians, and gender-nonconforming heroes, this collection—curated by writer-archivist-filmmaker Jenni Olson and critic Caden Mark Gardner—journeys through nearly four decades of cinema history in search of authentic, complex representations of masculine identity as it exists outside the realm of cisgender men. From nuanced explorations of gender-nonconforming youth (VERA, TOMBOY) to powerfully moving documentary portraits (SHINJUKU BOYS, SOUTHERN COMFORT) to innovative narratives that deconstruct both gender and genre (BY HOOK OR BY CROOK, MAGGOTS AND MEN), these films celebrate the courageous queer visionaries who have blazed these trails and who continue to show the way forward and inspire us all.

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Masc

6 Episodes

  • Vera
    1:27:22
    Vera
    Episode 1

    Vera

    Episode 1

    Directed by Sérgio Toledo • 1986 • Brazil
    Starring Ana Beatriz Nogueira, Raul Cortez, Aida Leiner

    Based on the tragically short life of Brazilian poet Anderson Bigode Herzer, this intense drama tells the story of Bauer, a trans man who navigates a difficult upbringing in an orphanage before find...

  • The Aggressives
    1:13:19
    The Aggressives
    Episode 2

    The Aggressives

    Episode 2

    Directed by Daniel Peddle • 2005 • United States
    Starring Kisha Batista, Marquise Vilson, Octavio Sanders

    Filmed over the course of five years, this bold, candid documentary follows the journeys of six masculine-presenting, genderqueer New Yorkers who defy labels in their quest to live authentic...

  • Maggots and Men
    54:45
    Maggots and Men
    Episode 3

    Maggots and Men

    Episode 3

    Directed by Cary Cronenwett • 2009 • United States
    Starring Stormy Henry Knight, Travis Clough, Scout Festa

    This experimental historical narrative set in a mythologized version of revolutionary Russia reimagines the story of the 1921 uprising of the Kronstadt sailors and features the largest cas...

  • Tomboy
    1:22:19
    Tomboy
    Episode 4

    Tomboy

    Episode 4

    Directed by Céline Sciamma • 2011 • France
    Starring Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Jeanne Disson

    TOMBOY tells the story of ten-year-old Laure (played by the amazing Zoé Héran) who moves to the suburbs and decides to pass as a boy among the pack of neighborhood kids. As “Mickäel” she catches the atten...

  • No Ordinary Man
    1:24:25
    No Ordinary Man
    Episode 5

    No Ordinary Man

    Episode 5

    Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt • 2020 • Canada
    Starring Billy Tipton, Susan Stryker, Kate Bornstein

    American jazz musician Billy Tipton developed a reputable touring and recording career in the mid-twentieth century, along with his band the Billy Tipton Trio. After his death in the...

  • Vámonos
    12:24
    Vámonos
    Episode 6

    Vámonos

    Episode 6

    Directed by Marvin Lemus • 2015 • United States
    Starring Vico Ortiz, Jessica Camacho, Natalia Cordova-Buckley

    Vico Ortiz (OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH) and Jessica Camacho (ALL RISE, THE FLASH, WATCHMEN) costar in this beautiful story about what it looks like to show up as an ally for our gender-nonconf...

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