Trans, Camera, Action: Transgender and non-binary support through oppositional and alternative film practice

Abstract

In the 2010s, there was a perceived increase in representations of transgender (trans) and non-binary (nb) people across different media, with prominent film representations appearing in mainstream cinema. Simultaneously, mainstream films established patterns of trans representations, repeating the same narratives of harm. The repetition of mainstream factors of trans representations contributed to a perceived increase in social acceptance and understandings of transness. In the 2020s, it is clear that despite the continual increase in
visibility and representation, these aspects of media do not appear to have contributed to an increase in trans rights and material gains for trans people.
Societal, legal, and governmental opposition to trans existence has also increased at an
extreme rate, especially in UK contexts which are underexplored in trans studies and are therefore key to this project.
The opposition to transness has been fervently reported across different media, making trans people into politicised figures. While trans people are unable to respond directly to attacks on
their rights in policy, cultural production and art forms are vital for trans people to re-establish aspects of trans existence that are overlooked, misrepresented, and erased. As trans representations in film have been solidified in the mainstream, alternative filmmaking approaches become necessary.
This research project uses practice research filmmaking methods to find how film itself can be an effective medium for supporting transgender and non-binary people. Six films have been created during the research activities, in analogue and digital formats. Different genres and styles have been explored in a no-budget process. The films are presented individually and as a programmed portfolio to reach a broad variety of audiences, prioritising trans and non-binary people while remaining engaging to other audiences.
Through the multiple filmmaking methods used in this project, trans people are framed differently in alternative representations that oppose inadequate norms.

Date of Award	1 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Edge Hill University
Supervisor	CLAIRE PARKINSON (Director of Studies), MARTIN MCQUILLAN (Supervisor) & MATTHEW PATEMAN (Supervisor)