In a world without cis men, what would masculinity look like? For centuries, queer people have been forging their own relationships with gender. Increasingly, stories of trans cowboys and female husbands are being unearthed, restored and retold. Now, these tales of queer masculinities are being shown on-screen.
Throughout the month of June, Criterion Channel will play host to Masc, a series of 19 films depicting “butch, trans and gender non-conforming masculinities,” in a program which spans various continents, cultures and communities. The program has been painstakingly curated by Jenni Olson, an archivist and filmmaker, and Caden Mark Gardner, a critic and co-author of an upcoming book on trans film images, and it leaves few stones unturned: from tender love stories to chaotic depictions of queer joy, there are plenty of archival gems to discover.
In a world which treats gender variance as newfangled, these films and documentaries –– some of which date back decades –– are important. They’re proof of existence. Crucially, there are tales of joy, not just of trauma. There’s Stormé: Lady of the Jewel Box, an in-depth interview with Stormé DeLarverie, an unsung hero of the Stonewall Riots; Stafford’s Story is a brief but extremely horny retelling of an encounter in a sex club. In Trans, a schoolteacher named Henry charms his way through an on-screen interview. “I don’t always dress like this,” he grins, nodding down to his dapper, double-breasted suit and polished wing-tips. “But when I do, I feel strong.”
Each of these tales drips with personality, providing a rare glimpse into lives which have historically been erased, or destroyed. From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the bars of Mexico City, here are seven films to start your cinematic odyssey through queer, masc histories.
Shinjuku Boys (1995)
Shinjuku Boys is a bonafide cult classic, thanks largely to the wit and sex appeal of Gaish, Kazuki and Tatsu, the three charismatic “hosts” centred in this documentary. Each of them works at the New Marilyn Club, providing paid company to the mainly straight women who step through the club’s doors. “To these women, they are like ideal men,” explains the narrator, as the camera pans across metallic, golden walls filled with the sounds of laughter and drinking games. This documentary isn’t just about the club; it’s about camaraderie. Each of the titular “boys” chats and cracks jokes about their identity –– about the hormones they might or might not want to inject, the affirming feel of their “scratchy” chest binders, their sense of being in a perpetual state of gendered limbo. Given this nuanced storytelling, it’s no surprise that Shinjuku Boys is still finding new viewers almost three decades after its release.
Chavela (2017)
In this documentary, the name Chavela Vargas is spoken in hushed, awed tones –– and rightfully so. Chavela is painted as a flawed, enigmatic legend. At age 17, she left her family and childhood in Costa Rica behind, chasing the flourishing entertainment industry in Mexico. After decades of singing on the streets, she became a household name in her thirties, known for her devastating renditions of rancheras, a kind of wounded, working-class balladry. Despite criticism, Chavela covered love songs about women and refused to change the pronouns, taking to the stage with her hair cut short, dressed in the charro suits of male mariachi singers. It’s an approach that garnered controversy, as well as the reverence of fellow pioneers like Frida Kahlo and Pedro Almodóvar, who called Chavela his “muse.”
Monsieur Le Butch (2022)
The pandemic was a source of frustration for countless trans people worldwide, who were either forced to move back home, or unable to leave. When filmmaker Jude Dry was faced with this predicament, they used their homecoming as creative fuel for an insightful, hilarious short film, Monsieur Le Butch. Jude’s mum is a well-meaning Jewish liberal with a New York Times subscription, and she doesn’t quite get “the whole trans thing” –– but she’s trying. Really trying. She embarks, in fact, on the complex journey of trying to affirm her non-binary child, through the gloriously meta process of starring in a film about their relationship. It’s not an easy process, but it’s one filled with humour, warmth and patience — and after watching, you’ll understand why so many viewers have branded Jude’s mum as iconic.
Southern Comfort (2001)
In 1996, 50-year-old trans man Robert Eads was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Southern Comfort is the heartbreaking story of his quest for treatment in the Republican stronghold of Toccoa — a frustrating series of meetings with doctors who refuse to treat him for fear of harming their reputation. There are snapshots of beauty and intimacy in this documentary, as well as standout scenes of Robert himself speaking candidly about his life, his sense of humour always intact. Southern Comfort is a heavy but vital watch, one which spells out the real-life consequences of medical transphobia, as well as the ongoing fight to secure life-saving medical treatment without discrimination.
Maggots and Men (2009)
In 1921, sailors stationed at the island fortress of Kronstadt staged a mass rebellion against the Bolshevik government, raging against food shortages and political violence. Maggots and Men is a queer, utopian reimagining of this rebellion, melding the homoeroticism of men at sea with the giddy, excitable spirit of revolution. The film made history for casting more than a hundred trans actors –– still unprecedented, nearly 15 years later –– in this radical retelling of left-wing history. It’s a tribute to the powers of revolution and fluidity, urging us all to “be like fish” and the revolution “like water: something we breathe and move through that is all around us, and that is in motion all the time.”
Stud Life (2012)
Stud Life is many things: it’s sexy, hilarious and tongue-in-cheek, careening between comedic reviews of rainbow dildos and seductive scenes in dancehall clubs. The film is largely about JJ, a self-defined stud, becoming infatuated with a hot new lover. It’s also a tribute to the strength of queer friendship and a lesson in Black lesbian culture, told through JJ’s conversation with her best friend Seb, a white gay man. Released in 2012, this film –– by acclaimed director and curator Campbell X –– also serves as an interesting, kind of wholesome throwback to queer culture just before the “digital age” took hold. As well as romance, sex and drama, Stud Life will make you cringe unexpectedly at the best-forgotten memories of your earliest webcam uploads.
The Aggressives (2005)
The Aggressives is anchored in six real-life stories of so-called “aggressive” women in New York City, all of whom have complicated relationships with sex, gender and desire. This gleeful, raucous documentary follows them across dance-floors and vogue balls and behind the scenes of fashion shoots. Each account is unvarnished, outlining the complexity of androgyny, especially for people of colour. The documentary spans six years of footage, which is ultimately its biggest plus point: we see stories unfold, identities fluctuate and nuances play out. It’s hard not to root for the “aggressives”, even when they make mistakes. They’re allowed a complexity that queer characters on-screen rarely get to display, and they embody it with flair.