Sundance film shows 'unglamorous' side of being transgender

Updated
'Tangerine' Movie Interview
'Tangerine' Movie Interview


With the recent warm embrace of Caitlyn Jenner in the media -- coming out as transgender has been widely accepted by millions.

This is a major step forward for humanity.

With a power squad at the forefront of this inspiring movement, more and more men and women finally feel comfortable coming out as who they truly are.

While there have been major steps forward in this movement, there is still a long way to go. "Tangerine" is an eye opening film, which depicts a slightly less glamorous reality for transgender women. It follows the lives of transgender sex-workers, Sin-Dee and Alexandra, living in poverty and working as prostitutes to make ends meet.

"Tangerine," written and directed by Sean Baker and Chris Bergochl, made its world premiere January 23, 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival, as part of the NEXT program. While it's important to note that this is a "film" with actors portraying roles...it holds true to many transgender realities.

Sin-Dee and Alexandra are played by actual transgender actresses, Kiki Kitana Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. As Baker told Mic.com, he allowed the actresses to "translate" the original script to augment its authenticity.

After the film's stunning success, Magnolia Pictures bought world rights to the film and is now playing in select theaters across the U.S.

As we relish in the progress our society has made thus far, there is a cautionary lesson we can take from "Tangerine." While the current attention that the transgender community is receiving is amazing and has us hopeful for the future, it is not always a positive reality.

The lives portrayed in "Tangerine" are raw, flawed, and sometimes dark. It shows the "unglamorous" side to being transgender, to show how far we've come and how far we need to go.



Interested to learn more about the LGBTQ community?



More from AOL.com:
New website makes it easier to find trans-friendly doctors
Caitlyn Jenner promises 'no more secrets' in emotional 'I Am Cait' trailer
Girl Scouts refuse $100,000 anti-transgender donation

Advertisement