Walk for Me

This short drama from writer-director Elegance Bratton focuses on an African American teenager named Hassan (Aaliyah King), who lives with his single mother (Yolonda Ross) in a cramped New York apartment. They are first seen during a dinner conversation in which Hassan’s rudeness towards his mother’s repeated attempts at conversation is answered by a maternal whack to the head. Heading out for the night, Hassan arrives at a club that is home to the local transgender ballroom culture, where he happily undergoes a wardrobe change to become Hanna, although his catwalk skills leave much to be desired and his awkward teen personality seems out of place among the self-confident crossdressers at the venue. When Hassan’s mother tries to reach him by phone, one of the ballroom denizens tips her off about his whereabouts, sparking a confrontation. While the film is a well-intended effort to illustrate the struggle of a transgender teen coming to grips with self-identity, Hassan’s surly relation with his mother makes him a somewhat unsympathetic character, and the brief running time doesn’t allow for the depth the story needs. Optional. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)