The event that I chose to go to was the screening of “Her Story”. As soon as it was mentioned in class it caught my attention. The trailer and the discussion made me want to go see it even more. I wasn't expecting to love it. I thought that “Her Story” was going to be just one continuous one hour film, but it was mini episodes put into one. It started off at a bar that Violet, (one of the main transgender woman characters), works at. At this bar lies a very curious reporter named Allie who wants to do a piece on the life of a transgender woman within her community. Allie ended up confronting Violet with this idea at a restaurant where they were both having lunch with their friends. Throughout the movie, you can see Violet's and Allie's relationship grow stronger and deeper. Another relationship that was forming within the series was one of Paige's, (who is Violet's best friend and is also transgender), with a man named James I believe. One of Allie's very judgmental friends outs Paige about her sex change in an article. Once James found out that Paige is transgender, he accepted her for who she was. Also towards the end of the film, you can start to see that Violet is a part of a very abusive relationship with her “boyfriend” Mark. She would act very scared and anxious around him, and there was even a night where he beat her because she told him that she didn't love or like him. “Her Story” was beautifully written and of course it had a happy ending where Allie and Violet finally kiss.
Although the movie was intriguing, the discussion afterward was just as entertaining. The guests were @smartassjen (Violet), @thefawz (Allie's friend), and @angelicaross (Paige). The person asking the questions asked the ones that I'm pretty sure everyone wanted to know. About how they made the movie, how they cast roles, etc. Jen said that 80% of their cast and crew were female, and that it made everyone feel more comfortable. One thing they pointed out that I thought was interesting was the fact that Hollywood wouldn't be able to do something like this. That Hollywood wouldn't want anything to do with something like this. Jen said that the point of this movie was to answer the following questions, “Who are these characters?” “What issues do they face?” “What are their lives like?” They didn't want to just tackle this theme and that theme, but to understand. They also mentioned how they cut a few episodes with trans men, and how Jen originally like Laura (AKA Allie), and that that's originally why she added the kissing scene. The discussion was mostly very funny because Angelica and Fawz were hilarious! There was a very touchy feely moment when Jen flat-out admitted that she has a drug problem. I forgot what an audience member had asked or said to somehow lead Jen to connect it with her drug addiction, but she did mention how it was killing her. She said that the only reason she is still here today is because of Angelica Ross. Angelica and Jen have a very strong friendship, you can already tell by the way they talk about each other. Jen said that Angelica would check on her every day to make sure she doesn't go MIA for a few days like she used to. Angelica also said how she isn't there to just “solve” Jen's problem, she said she's there as more as a reflection. A reflection of Jen to show her just how amazing, driven, focused and beautiful she is.
I loved “Her Story” and I really do hope that the series is picked up by somebody, so they can continue it. I would definitely be a fan of that show. I learned a lot of things today during this screening and discussion. Fawz taught me that laughter is contagious, and that spreading even a little happiness to somebody can make the biggest difference. Angelica taught me to appreciate my friends better, and that true friends won't try to fix you, they'll support you. Jen taught me that no one can hate you more than yourself, but that you can eventually learn. This has also given me an idea of the struggles within the LGBTQ community. I may never understand it entirely, but at least I can support and try.
