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I can’t wait to share my new feature film ADAM with the world when it comes out in theaters soon! It’s a complicated story, so I wanted to revisit some writing about it @ADAMthefilm (THREAD)
First, I wrote a piece on Medium on why I chose to direct ADAM and how the film differs from the book. There were lots of changes from the book to the screenplay & more changes from the screenplay and the finished film. bit.ly/OnAdam
From my medium piece: “Believe me, I had some concerns. But when I finished reading the ADAM script, I was stunned and pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t at all what I had expected...
“The ADAM screenplay flipped the “trans deception” narrative trope on its head. It was poking fun at, but also challenging, cis people’s obsession with transness.
“The uncomfortable — and at times, problematic — depictions of sex between Adam and Gillian in the book were changed. Gillian is given more agency in the film, and we explore her queer identity more deeply.
“Transmasculine characters feature prominently in the film, their identities acknowledged and unquestioned. We center the experience of Ethan, a trans man who befriends Adam, and the impact that Adam’s deception has on him.
“Finally, the film’s ending is very different than the book’s.” Next, I did an interview with trans journalist Oliver Whitney in the Huff Post: bit.ly/2LYY5vd ...
In Oliver’s words: “The novel’s detractors may be relieved to learn that [the movie adaptation of ADAM] excises some of the book’s more troublesome material.” “The key difference between the source material and the film [...] is Ernst.”
“[ADAM’s] director deftly reinterprets Schrag’s narrative through a trans perspective, setting it in an authentically queer environment where diverse LGBTQ characters are played by trans and nonbinary actors.”
In my words: “For me, it’s a thought experiment [...] it’s almost like, what if the world was totally queer and trans? And what would it mean if a cis person was an outsider?”
After ADAM premiered at Sundance and had a really positive response, I did an interview with the LA Times about it: lat.ms/2G6VA75 ...
“I think people who haven’t seen the film might think it’s about Adam doing something to the queer and trans community. But I actually think it’s about the queer and trans community doing something to Adam.
“I recognize that right now, in terms of where we are culturally, I think people are surprised that I would want to take a risk and do a kind of a daring movie [like ADAM] — but I really believe in it and taking that risk.
“I feel like putting an expectation that because I’m coming from a marginalized community that I shouldn’t take narrative risks is really disenfranchising to me as a creative. So I’m kind of intentionally pushing back on that.”
“the film displays a real respect for the LGBTQ community – feeling both authentic and celebratory. Trans filmmaker Rhys Ernst packs the cast with a whole host of trans performers including Leo Sheng [..] and Pose’s MJ Rodriguez in a notable brief turn.” bit.ly/2SfRGwI
“The drama revolves around Adam becoming more accepting of others. Schooling up on what trans people go through to continue his deception, he develops an admiration for their bravery. He ultimately realizes using a marginalized identity for his own gain is incredibly problematic.
From my Medium piece: “Because of the long history of harmful & outright false depictions of trans lives, our community is rightfully distrustful of material that might add to this negative legacy. However, I believe in the power of trans art and storytelling, even when it is...
...challenging or uncomfortable. As a trans person, I know our concerns are often ignored by those with greater privilege, so it is important to me to share the work that we did on the project and to claim it as a trans story.”
In conclusion: thank you for coming to my TED TALK, support work by trans creators, and please check out #ADAMthefilm when it comes out in theaters later this summer!
