Oct 8
Telling Our Journeys: Transagenda Screening & Talkback
In light of Caitlin Jenner and the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, this participatory documentary Transagenda tells the stories of 2 best-friends who have struggled against the tides of society. They have fought against homelessness while simultaneously discovering who they truly are. With the use of 4 disposable cameras to capture symbolic and important moments and places in their lives, including arts boarding schools and Black Lives Matter protests, Jobi and Brandi engage the audience in a participatory photo project. Everyday is a form of resistance for Jobi and Brandi, causing us to ask what the next steps are in the LGBTQ movement.
Jobi:
At the time that Transagenda was being filmed Jobi was freshly twenty, in a newly stable living situation through a program that housed homeless LGBTQ youth, and running a grassroots organization that he had founded with a small group of friends. Before getting into the housing program Jobi was homeless and finding couches to crash on or 24 hour cafes to hang out in night to night for almost 7 months. Since the documentary was finished Jobi has gained visibility as a community organizer and activist in the twin cities. He recently moved to St. Louis, MO with his fiancée, Rachel and best friend, Brandi where he plans to keep doing organizing work and eventually have some babies.
Brandi:
At the time Transagenda was being filmed, Brandi was experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis after leaving an unhealthy living situation with a family member. She was staying with a friend and working at a coffee shop in south Minneapolis. Since the documentary was finished, Brandi has completed her social transition and started hormones. Following the release of the documentary, Brandi became heavily involved in the Movement for Black Lives. She now lives in St. Louis, MO with her friends Jobi and Rachel working at another coffee shop in south St. Louis.
Molly is a senior studying Media and Cultural Studies and International Studies at Macalester College. She is a first time filmmaker along with her co-director Anna Andersen. Transagenda became a continuation of a final project that Molly and Anna had been working on in their community video class. It was shot throughout the summer of 2015. Post-graduation Molly plans to continue working in video production, ski as much as possible and eventually attend graduate school for film production.
Anna Andersen is a first-time filmmaker and a social and equal rights activist. She felt compelled by the issues surrounding transgender rights and homelessness in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, MN she decided to co-create the film known as Transagenda. In the last few years, she has dedicated her time to filming Transagenda, traveling, and pursuing her passion- video production. She now lives in New York and is working towards a career in documentary filmmaking surrounding the social and equal rights issues she is vehement about.