Film Recommendation: 'Framing Agnes' By Chase Joynt

By The Editors

Feathers up! We recommend: "Framing Agnes" is a parafiction, a docudrama, a play between talk show and academic exploration centering Agnes, a transwoman who participated in gender research at UCLA in the 1950s. While director Chase Joynt's constant pivot between fiction and non-fiction at times muddles the film's storyline, that's part of the point: there is so much we don't know about any historical figure's narrative. That's especially true for a marginalized, pseudonymized person navigating a system set against her. Everyone has (and deserves) a private life.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of "Finding Agnes" is its questions of how icons are made and who gets to represent a movement—not just among transgender people but any identity or community throughout history. There's plenty that we can imagine about icons from the past, though we should be cautious about making assumptions. Bonus points for creativity and visual details, especially the editing and trans cast's Period piece wardrobe. You'll leave the film pondering some philosophical and political questions but won't forget the eye candy. 

"Finding Agnes" will show in select theaters beginning December 2nd. Tickets are available here.