2016 Hot Docs ‘The Pearl’

The Pearl (2015), directed by Jessica Dimmock and Christopher Lamarca, is a four character driven reality drama documenting the lives of four transgender women ranging in age from their early forties to their early seventies who are trying to break free, and live openly as women.

Within the first five minutes of the documentary, we have not only been introduced to our four characters but have learned something of their backstory, and struggles, and that they are at different stages in their journey of transitioning.

The film fades from black to a wide angle shot of a parking lot late at night then fades into black with the text NINA, British Columbia and then cuts to a close up of an interior scene of the back seat of a car with someone obscured behind the passenger seat and clothing that is strewn along the back seat.  The film cuts to a close up image of Nina, moving in and out of focus, stripping and changing clothes then quickly cuts to an exterior medium shot of Nina in the vehicle changing clothes cutting to an interior close up of Nina donning a wig cutting to a close up of Nina in the driver’s seat looking at herself in the rearview mirror applying lipstick, and then to a close up of Nina looking at the camera.  She says that “she moves between two worlds and it’s her reality.”  These powerful moving images leave an indelible impression that it is in the privacy of her car that she can come out as a Nina.  

The film fades to black with the text JODIE & KRYSTAL, Oregon then cuts to an exterior night scene of a close up of an engine with someone leaning in and then cuts to a shot of Jodie and Krystal dressed in overalls conversing and examining the engine and then cuts to a wide angle shot of Jodie leaning over the engine with Krystal in the driver’s seat attempting to start the ignition then cuts to a close up of Krystal then to a medium angle shot of Jodie back to a close up of Krystal back to a medium shot of Jodie back to a close up of Krystal and then to a shot of Jodie who wiggles her body in delight and beams with joy when the engine starts.  Jodie narrates that they are two brothers who live together and that a while ago they had a big doozer of a fight, and she came right out and told Krystal that part of her is female and always has been, and Krystal tells Jodie that she is family, and tells Jodie about Krystal and that Krystal has kept the same secret hidden from her.  Seeing how they have situated themselves in an industrial zone, an isolated area, away from the prying eyes of others, a sense that it must afford them with a measure of privacy and freedom, and a space where they can be themselves.  The film continues with close ups of the two in the truck at night with Krystal driving on the highway and Jodie sitting in the passenger seat.

The film fades to black with the text AMY, Washington and cuts to a medium shot of Amy in her bedroom retrieving and going through a large black jewelry case narrating that his wife Edith died three and a half years ago, continuing with Amy packing a suitcase, and saying that he dressed at home as much as he could to stay sane and that Edith put up with it but wouldn’t entertain the idea of them going out as two women. The film continues with a wide angle shot of Amy leaving her house with her luggage cutting to a medium shot of her loading the luggage in the trunk of her car cutting to a wide angle shot of her house to a close up of her inside her car to a wide angle shot of her driving away to a close up of Amy in the car.  Amy says, “you have to reinvent yourself for the world that is coming.”  Seeing Amy leave the house as Amy spoke volumes for it reveals she is now free to be herself.  The film continues with a close of Krystal then cuts to a close up of Jodie and then to a close up of Nina and then to a low angle shot of the night sky and then to wide angle shots of a port town.

The film not only documents their lives and journeys but their participation at Esprit, a conference for transgender women that helps them to transition.  They attend workshops, lectures, one-on-one coaching sessions and social activities that not only helps with the transitioning process such as changing the pitch of their voice, their walk, how to put on make-up but provides a safe space to be themselves.  For Amy, Esprit is “a place where you get to measure yourself against other trans women.”   For Nina, Esprit is where Nina can be Nina 24/7, and wishes she can get to a point where she doesn’t have to revert back.

Dimmock and Lamarca create very intimate portraits of these four open and candid transgender women and show that transitioning is a complex process fraught with difficulties and challenges.  For Jodie, it’s about safety because of the work she does and there are places in the USA that are not safe for transgender women, and so, she leads a double life.  For Nina, who is married and has a family, she fears losing their respect and love, and feels she can’t fully transition.  For Krystal, it has to do with letting go of the shame. For Nina, whose urge to transition is so strong and with nothing getting in her way, it’s to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

The Pearl is a powerful documentary deserving your attention.  An expression of gratuity goes out to Nina, Jodie, Krystal and Amy for sharing with us their lives, and journeys.  Do see it for you won’t be disappointed.

The Pearl will be playing at various theatres:

TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 on May 3 @ 6:00 p.m.
Hart House Theatre on May 5 @ 3:15 p.m.
Fox Theatre on May 6 @ 4:00 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased here!