A short film is being praised on social media for its depiction of a soldier's relationship with his young trans daughter.
Titled The Real Thing, the seven-minute film was directed by filmmaker Brandon Kelley and stars young trans actress and , Sophie Giannamore.
After a successful run on the international festival circuit, including screenings at last year's Outfest in Los Angeles, the film was released online last week to coincide with both Trans Awareness Week and Veterans Day.
The film tells the story of a young girl, played by Giannamore, who begins her transition while her father is deployed and anxiously anticipates his reaction when he returns.
According to Kelley, the film was an opportunity to share a positive and inspirational trans story in a media landscape cluttered with bad news.
“Every day there is a new story of a local victory, or small-scale progress being made," Kelley said in an interview with .
“There are multiple large-scale battles being fought in courts, legislatures, and communities across the country, and youth and passion are on our side," he added.
“Together, these efforts create a tidal wave of progressive thought and policy.
“There are many things for which we can be somber, but we should also look at this week as a chance to showcase ourselves. I want [trans youth] to know that this week exists, in a large part, in order to help them.”
Shot on 35mm, the film was partly funded by a , raising over $10,000 towards its production.
You can watch the short film below:
