Transparent

What do kids call their mom after she becomes a man? In Transparent, documentary filmmaker Jules Rosskam interviews 19 female-to-male transsexual parents who articulate a wide variety of emotions and experiences. Nearly all express a profound dissatisfaction with the female bodies they were born with and talk about a lifelong desire to become male. Some became pregnant while living as women in conventional marriages, others were artificially inseminated after beginning to transition, and one couple—both transsexuals—had a child together. All recount how transitioning complicated their relationships with their children and challenged the traditional roles of motherhood and fatherhood. Several are still called “mom” even though to all outward appearances they are male, while others say their children quickly began using “dad.” The impact of their dramatic gender change on their children weighs on nearly all of those interviewed here (one interviewee recounts the joy of reuniting with his son after many years of estrangement). Unfortunately, the children never speak for themselves, which makes the one-sidedness of the testimony sometimes seem like a rambling support group session. Still, because Transparent does provide insights into socially-determined expectations surrounding gender and parenthood, this is recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (J. Wadland)