The Believers

Emmy-award winning director Todd Holland's The Believers offers a rousing, compelling portrait of the most unique performers in contemporary Christian music: San Francisco's Transcendence Gospel Choir, the world's first (and, to date, only) professional gospel choir consisting of transgendered singers. Ashley Moore and Yvonne Evans (both formerly male) are the creative and emotional dynamos behind this unlikely group. The greatest challenge the pair faced was turning a predominantly amateur collection of singers into a single, cohesive vocal force that provided a genuine sense of the sacred without veering into the cheap safety of camp. Several of the choir members profiled here tell moving stories (particularly the journey of a former prostitute who successfully kicked a crack addiction), and the film takes a serious look at the issue of merging the pursuit of Christian music with a lifestyle that many conservative Christians view as sacrilegious and sinful (needless to say, the choir is not considered a viable candidate for gospel music's annual Dove Awards). However, the true power of The Believers lies in watching this diverse mix of personalities unite into a single force of spiritual musicality—even though, at times, the disagreements between members makes the film feel like a cross-dressing gospel version of Let It Be. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)