Real Boy (2017)

Image Source

Real Boy (2017), directed by Shaleece Haas, is a documentary film that follows the day to day life of female-to-male (FTM) transgender teen, Ben.  The film begins with Ben newly starting testosterone and preparing for his top surgery, where his breasts will be removed.  Ben is also trying to navigate his family’s lack of support and his desire to find love and acceptance while adjusting to college life and advancing his music career.  The film does a great job of weaving together actual life shots with graphic art and Ben’s own music as a backdrop, giving deeper insight into who Ben is as a person beyond his gender identity.

In addition to navigating normal life changes that teens experience as a transgender teen, Ben also struggles with mental health and addiction.  Ben talks about having a history of cutting himself and turning to substance abuse to help numb the pain he felt about being born in the wrong body, not having a family who understood, and then the ultimate hurt when his parent’s divorced and his family broke apart.  In the film, Ben is clean and sober and using his music to express his feelings in a healthy and positive way. 

Ben also has found his owns support system through social media, connecting to other transgender teens from around the world.  Many of these teens document their transition on YouTube, keep in contact via closed groups where they can talk about their unique circumstances, and even reach out to each other by phone and e-mail to provide support to each other from afar.  Through the platform of social media, Ben has found a best friend in Dylan who is also a female-to-male transgender teen and the pair move in together when they start college.  This social support network of other transgender youth is important for the mental well-being of many transgender teens whose families don’t understand what they are going through or who have completely cut them out of their lives purely due to their gender identities.

In Ben’s case, his mom and dad have divorced and he appears to be estranged from his sister.  Ben’s dad has remarried and has a new life, in which Ben feels he does not fit.  Ben believes he is supposed to go see his dad on Thanksgiving only to realize he misunderstood and is not actually invited.  Ben’s mom, Suzie, is present in various scenes throughout the documentary but it is evident that while she cares for Ben as her child, she does not support his transition.  She feels that Ben taking testosterone and having top surgery are both very drastic measures.  Ben tries to explain to his mother that he is a real boy, just born in the wrong body and that taking testosterone or having top surgery is just his attempt to make himself feel more comfortable in his own skin.  Suzie remains hesitant about the transition throughout the film but continues to show up for her son.

In an interview with Suzie, it becomes clear that she is mourning the loss of her daughter.  She talks about choosing Ben’s birth name (Rachel) and how excited she was to have a little girl.  She talks about all the hopes and dreams she had for her daughter and how she doesn’t know how to navigate explaining Ben’s transition to her family and friends who ask how Ben (who they do not know is transitioning) is doing.  While Suzie isn’t 100% understanding or supportive of Ben’s transition, she continues to try to be there for Ben as best as she can.  It is clear that Suzie is trying to process this change and what it means for the dreams she once had for Ben.  Suzie’s experience in the film highlights the fact that the transition of a transgender individual impacts not only their lives, but those of their loved ones as well.  Parents, especially, have to reconcile their preconceived ideas for their child based on their gender at birth with their new chosen gender.  They must realize that this transition doesn’t change who their child is and doesn’t hinder them from accomplishing their dreams.  Some parents, unfortunately, don’t want to realize this or take some time to process this change.  Thankfully for Ben, Suzie does come around in the end.

This documentary covers very real and raw topics that transgender teens around the world face on a day to day basis.  How to navigate their lives as they begin to live in their chosen gender.  How to navigate the complicated medical processes necessary for transition.  How to navigate very real comorbidities such as mental illness and addiction.  How to balance family life and social life.  How to find companionship and even love.  All while working and going to school and just trying to be their authentic selves.  Ben seems to do this successfully thanks to his amazing support network and his passion for music, but he doesn’t try to hide the trials and tribulations he has experienced in his past and that he continues to experience due to his transgender identity.  Thanks to Ben sharing his story with the world, the unique struggles of transgender youth are brought into the limelight.  We are able to see that Ben’s hopes and dreams are not unlike those of your typical college student who is just trying find their way.

Tangerine (2015)

Image Source

Tangerine (2015), directed by Sean Baker and written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch, is a gritty and comedic tale of a transgender sex worker’s quest to bust her cheating boyfriend/pimp.  Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) was just released from a 28-day stint in jail on Christmas Eve when she meets up with her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) at a seedy neighborhood donut shop.  Alexandra accidentally lets it slip that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp, Chester (James Ransone), has been cheating on her with a “fish,” slang for a non-trans woman.  Upon seeing how angry Sin-Dee gets at this revelation, Alexandra refuses to say anything more for fear of her involvement leading to Sin-Dee doing something she will regret.  Sin-Dee decides to take matters into her own hands by tracking down both the “fish,” a girl named Dinah (Mickey O’Hagan), and her two-timing boyfriend.

Sin-Dee treks around Los Angeles by bus and eventually finds Dinah working in a shoddy motel.  There is a confrontation in the motel room and Sin-Dee hilariously drags Dinah out of the motel room by the ear and proceeds to literally drag her around with her as she continues her search for Chester, who makes it a point to not be found easily.  Sin-Dee and Dinah reunite with Alexandra and the trio eventually track Chester down at another local donut shop.  Sin-Dee confronts Chester, resulting in a chaotic yelling match at the donut shop that ends with everyone upset at each other due to the revelation that Alexandra also slept with Chester while Sin-Dee was in jail.  All four end up going their separate ways as the donut shop owner threatens to call the police.

Sin-Dee walks down the street in the dark, trying to get away from Alexandra as Alexandra continues to chase after her to try to explain what happened.  A car full of men pull up near Sin-Dee, and thinking she is about to get work, she approaches only to be assaulted when the men throw a cup of urine all over her and hurl slurs at her before driving off.  Alexandra sees it all and quickly runs to her friend’s aide.  Alexandra then takes Sin-Dee to a local laundrymat to wash her clothing and wig.  The pair sit on a bench in the laundrymat, with Sin-Dee looking completely different as she is stripped down to just a bra and her short hair.  It becomes evident that Sin-Dee feels extremely uncomfortable as she has lost any aspect of femininity as she sits and waits for her clothes and wig to be cleaned.  Alexandra quietly takes her wig off  of her own head and puts it on Sin-Dee’s, the two smile at each other, and the screen goes black as the film ends. 

Completely shot on an iphone 5, Tangerine takes viewers on a wild ride and uses realistic imagery, comedy, and music to highlight some of the very real daily struggles faced by those who live on the outskirts of society within the underworld of Los Angeles.  As Sin-Dee treks around the city of Los Angeles, the unedited scenery transports viewers to the very real run-down neighborhoods inhabited by the most underprivileged groups of people.  In addition, Sin-Dee and Alexandra’s experiences as transgender sex workers are juxtaposed to Dinah’s experience.  Sin-Dee and Alexandra were likely forced to turn to prostitution to survive as many transgender teens are expelled from their homes due to a lack of acceptance and understanding of their gender identities by their families.  Dinah, on the other hand, appears to have resorted to sex work to feed her drug addiction.  Although initially being out for Dinah due to her involvement with Chester, Sin-Dee and Dinah end up bonding as they get to know each other.  Despite their differences, they have both persevered in the face of adversity and have had to resort to whatever means possible to survive their harsh realities.

The piece that brings this whole film together is the music selection.  Every scene is played out amongst a backdrop of music that ranges from classical to techno to hip-hop.  The carefully selected song choices bring the emotions of each character to life in a way that allows viewers to feel as though they are a part of the film.  Songs such as “Up In Jam (Pet Duo)” by Fatima Hajji lend a vibrant drumbeat to Sin-Dee’s rage as she starts her quest to find Dinah and Chester, while songs like “Gotta Get Home” by Okko offer a peppy technobeat as Sin-Dee and Dinah continue the search together and form a bond of sorts.  Finally, “The Dream of the Unknown Visitor” by Federico Cerruti offers a classical and peaceful end as Sin-Dee and Alexandra’s friendship prevails above all else.

Tangerine takes a comedic approach to the very real-life issues facing transgender sex workers.  Issues such as drug abuse, domestic violence, poverty, sexual harassment, and hate crimes are all brought to the forefront in one day of Sin-Dee’s life on the street.  Despite the somewhat taboo and off-color theme of the film, the strength and resiliency of transgender sex workers is highlighted.  In addition, we are reminded that friendship can tackle any obstacles and that family is what you make it.

The Danish Girl (2015)

Image Source

The Danish Girl (2015), directed by Tom Hooper, is based on a novel of the same name written by David Ebershoff in 2000, about the real life Lili Elbe who was one of the first transgender women to undergo sex reassignment surgery.  The film begins by following the day to day lives of husband and wife artists, Einar and Gerda Wegener (Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander) who live and work in 1920s Paris.  Einar is a famous landscape artist while Gerda struggles to sell her portraits and fashion drawings.  When one of Gerda’s models runs late, she enlists Einar’s help by having him don stockings, ballet slippers, and a dress so she can start working on the bottom half of her painting.  This ignites something in Einar and he starts to explore his femininity even more.  Gerda encourages Einar’s gender-bending by giving him dresses to wear and by helping him do his hair and makeup.  The two even parade around town together with Einar passing as “Lili” and pretending to be a cousin from abroad.

Gerda does not seem bothered by Einar’s transition into Lili until she realizes that Einar has no intention of resurfacing.  Gerda then takes Einar/Lili to see several different psychologists who perform strange tests to try to cure her.  When Einar’s desire to live as Lili persists, psychologists label her as insane.  Seeing the treatment that Einar/Lili receives by the medical profession, Gerda then realizes she loves and cares for Einar/Lili no matter what.  Gerda begins to support Einar’s desire to live out her daily life as Lili.  Lili quits painting and begins passing in the world around her as a woman.  She takes a job in a boutique and attempts to learn the ins and outs of womanhood.  Gerda and Lili continue to live together as companions and friends, and Gerda remains a constant in Lili’s life.

When Lili hears of a doctor in Germany who performs sex reassignment surgeries, she jumps at the opportunity to complete her transition.  She makes the trek with Gerda by her side and begins a series of complicated and dangerous surgeries to remove her male genitalia and transplant a uterus and ovaries.  Gerda is apprehensive and unsupportive at first due to the dangerous nature of the surgeries, but she comes around when she realizes how much it means to Lili to be able to live fully as a woman.  Unfortunately, Lili ends up dying of complications from one of her surgeries, leaving Gerda devastated.

The story of the transformation of Einar Wegener into Lili Elbe as told through the film is a story of love and acceptance through all of life’s trials.  The acting by both Eddie Redmayne (Einar/Lili) and Alicia Vikander (Gerda) brings this story to life.  Both actors are so successful at conveying the emotions of their characters that viewers are able to empathize with both Einar/Lili and Gerda.  We are able to feel Einar’s disgust at his male body, his longing and desire to be Lili, and the happiness he exudes when he is able to live as a woman.  At the same time, we experience Gerda’s pain at the loss of her husband, her frustration as she tries to protect Lili from an unforgiving society, and connection as she supports Lili through her transition despite it all.  The relationship between Einar/Lili and Gerda as portrayed by Redmayne and Vikander feels like a love poem that transcends all boundaries and is limitless.

In addition to the extraordinary acting, the film’s use of color and lighting adds another element to Lili’s story.  The film’s opening scenes are shots of rolling hills covered in fog and trees that are bare.  It is reminiscent of a stark winter scene waiting for spring to come for a chance to bloom.  There is a grey tone to the entire first half of the film where Einar is still living live as a man, alluding to a sense of unhappiness and gloom.  There is little sunlight, a lot of fog, and gray/blue hues to the scenes.  However, as soon as Einar transitions to living life as Lili, a vibrancy emerges to the scenery and costumes that matches the happiness that Lili herself exudes.  The sun shines through the windows into Gerda and Lili’s home, Lili herself seems to glow, and Lili’s pastel colored wardrobe offers a warm softness to the film’s later scenes.  This change in lighting and color add to the sense of comfort felt with Lili finally being at peace with herself.

The Danish Girl successfully brings the story of Lili Elbe to life in a way that captures viewers’ attention and hearts.  We are transported to another time and place to experience the story of one transgender woman during a time period when society was even less accepting and forgiving than modern times.  Even those who cannot relate to Lili’s gender identity struggles are quickly drawn into the story of Lili and Gerda’s unique relationship and the connection that transcends gender.  With the support and acceptance of Gerda, Lili is able to fulfill her deepest desire to be who she was always meant to be.

3 Generations (2015)

Image Source

3 Generations (2015), directed by Gabby Dellal and written by Gabby Dellal and Nikole Beckwith, is a film that attempts to show how one teenager’s gender dysphoria and transition impacts not only himself, but also those around him.  Ray (Elle Fanning) is a 16-year old female to male (FTM) who is trying to convince his family to let him start testosterone therapy.  Ray lives in New York City with his single mother, his grandmother, and his grandmother’s girlfriend.  Ray has transitioned to the point of wearing male clothing and having a traditionally male haircut, but still struggles with severe body dysphoria.  Ray’s mother, Maggie (Naomi Watts), is trying to be supportive while at the same time mourning the loss of her daughter.  Ray’s grandmother, Dolly (Susan Sarandon) loves her grandchild but struggles to understand Ray’s desire to transition to a male.  “Why can’t she just be a lesbian?” she asks, absentmindedly.  As an old school feminist/lesbian herself she has trouble grasping Ray’s gender dysphoria and tries to relegate Ray’s internal struggle to something she can understand.

Ray’s demeanor makes it clear that his gender dysphoria is significantly impacting his mental health.  Ray perseverates on his female body and counts down the days until he can start testosterone therapy.  He never really feels whole and is constantly depressed, which affects his relationships with both his mother and grandmother.  Ray is, for the most part, accepted by his peers but there are moments where Ray is triggered by things that his friends say and do without even realizing it.  In one instance, one of Ray’s friends that he happens to have a crush on, comes to check on Ray after Ray is mugged.  She makes a comment that she can’t believe that a guy would beat up a girl like that.  Ray realizes that the outside world still doesn’t see him as a boy and becomes convinced more than ever before that testosterone therapy will be his fresh start.

The family visits a doctor to discuss testosterone therapy and is given an information pamphlet and a parental consent form to complete before their next appointment and before testosterone injections can begin.  Ray’s mother, Maggie, quickly realizes that Ray’s father has to sign the consent form, as well.  This complicates things as Ray’s father has never been in the picture.  Maggie goes through her own internal struggle trying to decide whether or not to track down Ray’s father, Craig (Tate Donovan), to get his signature or just wait for testosterone until Ray turns 18 and can consent for himself.  She ends up tracking him down and discovering that he has remarried and has 3 young children.  When she tells him about Ray and the consent form, he refuses to sign it because he doesn’t know if he agrees with Ray becoming Ray.  He wonders if Ray’s gender dysphoria is related to him being absent and if he can do anything to “fix” Ray.  This upsets Ray’s mother who claims that there is nothing to fix before storming off.

Maggie doesn’t tell Ray about the complication with his father for some time, trying to figure out an alternative way to obtain the consent as she doesn’t want to burden Ray anymore.  But as the weeks whittle down to days, she must tell Ray what is going on.  When Ray finds out that he won’t be able to get testosterone because his father won’t consent, he tracks down and confronts his father himself.  He is thrown into a situation that throws a lot at him at once as he meets his father’s new family and gains knowledge as to why his father left him and his mother in the first place.  At the same time, he tries to prove himself to his father and show him that he is who he is and that there is nothing to “fix” so that his father will sign the consent form.  Ray’s mother and grandmothers track Ray down at his father’s house and twists and turns ensue.

Ray’s father ultimately signs the consent form and tells Ray he wants to be a part of his life.  Ray’s demeanor totally changes and for the first time in the entire film, Ray is happy and smiling.  Seeing this, Ray’s mother realizes she has made the right decision in supporting her son and Ray’s grandmother also apologizes for her previous comments and tells Ray she loves him for who he is.  Ray is able to start testosterone therapy with the support of his family, which has expanded now with the addition of his father and his younger siblings.  Ray will finally be given the chance to feel comfortable in his own skin and start the next chapter of his life.

Boy Meets Girl (2015)

Image Source

Boy Meets Girl (2015), directed and written by Eric Shaeffer, follows the story of Ricky (Michelle Hendley), a male-to-female (MTF) transgender character from rural Kentucky who transitioned to living as a girl at a very young age.  Because of her early transition, she comes across as a very confident individual who is comfortable in her skin.  Ricky has grown up in a very small town where “everybody knows everybody” so Ricky’s transition from a boy to a girl as a young child is public knowledge.  Ricky has never really had to “come out” as her transgender identity is already well known and seemingly accepted.  Ricky lives with her father and younger brother and spends the majority of her days with her childhood best friend Robby (Michael Welch).  In several flashback scenes of Ricky’s childhood we see Robby’s constant and unwavering support of Ricky that seemingly smooths over Ricky’s newfound female identity with many of their peers.  This support and acceptance amongst her family and friends has made all the difference as Ricky has been able to transition into a very outgoing individual with a positive outlook.

This confidence is tested when Ricky meets someone new, Francesca (Alexandra Turshen).  Francesca’s father is a successful conservative politician and while from the same town as Ricky, the pair never met because Francesca spent most of her days away at a boarding school.  However, Francesca is back in town planning her wedding to her fiancé who is overseas serving in the military.  When Ricky and Francesca spark up a friendship in the local coffeeshop, Ricky quickly takes a liking to Francesca as she has never really been close to any women in her life.  We later learn that Ricky’s mother left her family shortly after Ricky’s transition to a girl and thus, Ricky has always blamed herself for her mother not being around.  Losing her only female role model at such a pivotal time in her life leads Ricky to become attached to Francesca quite quickly.  Francesca seems equally intrigued by Ricky as Ricky is quick to disclose her transgender identity and is not at all shy about it.

The pair’s relationship quickly becomes sexual as Francesca and Ricky both want to explore other sides to their sexualities and feel safe doing so with each other.  However, this upsets Ricky’s best friend, Robby, as he seems to be jealous of Francesca and Ricky’s relationship with each other.  The film turns into a love triangle of sorts with Ricky caught between Francesca and Robby, as Robby comes to realize he has had feelings for Ricky all along.  The film ends as Francesca and Ricky decide they are better off as just friends and Robby decides to tell Ricky how he really feels about her.

Robby runs around town one evening looking for Ricky, so that he can profess his love for her.  He finds Ricky skinny dipping in the local watering hole and approaches her to tell her how he feels about her.  She listens to what he has to say and then asks if he is sure about what he is saying.  She then slowly walks out of the water, each step revealing a bit more of her unclothed body.  Once fully out of the water, she approaches Robby and the striking contrast of her female top half and male bottom half are on full display.  She is laying it all on the line, confident and vulnerable at the same time, as she asks Robby again if he is sure about what he is saying.  It is evident that seeing Ricky this way has made Robby love her even more, as for him it is not about who she is on the outside, but who she is on the inside.

This bouncing around from one love interest to the next lends a little bit of chaos to the film that is somewhat convoluted.  It also feels a little bit unrealistic at times as the topic of Ricky’s gender identity and the sexuality of all of the characters seems to be in constant play due to the varying and unique dynamics between Ricky and her different love interests.  Despite the rockiness and the somewhat unrealistic love triangle, Ricky’s character alone is the glue that holds this story together.

Ricky is intelligent, creative, beautiful, but also vulnerable.  She is a perfect example of what can happen when you are loved and supported for who you are, without judgement.  Her positive relationships with her family, her friends, and other people in her town has allowed her to express herself comfortably and confidently.  She is aware of the fact that she is “different,” but she doesn’t let that stop her from achieving her dreams.  Ricky’s unwavering strength and determination to be herself makes the world a better place and her confidence and positivity quickly rubs off on those around her.

Romeos (2011)

Image Source

Romeos (2011), directed and written by Sabine Bernardi, is a German film directed by Sabine Bernardi that follows the story of female-to-male (FTM) transgender character Lukas, played by Rick Okon.  Lukas is a 19-year old nursing student who has recently started testosterone therapy and is starting to physically look more like a man.  He is growing facial hair, his body is changing, and he wears men’s clothing.  He has legally changed his name from Miri to Lukas and is now “passing” in public as a man.  However, because he has not fully transitioned and had breast removal surgery or a sex change operation, he is placed in the female dormitories.  He attempts to fix the mix-up by taking his concerns up with the dean but quickly discovers that he will not be supported.  The dean meets with Lukas but continues to refer to him as “she,” blatantly disregarding Lukas’ chosen gender identity and appears more impolitely intrigued by Lukas’ transition than genuinely concerned about the mix-up.  Lukas quickly realizes he will be stuck staying in the girl’s dormitories for a while but is lucky to run into his childhood friend, Ine (Liv Lisa Fries).  Ine has known Lukas since pre-transition and offers her support and confidence as a lesbian and member of the LGBTQ community herself.

Lukas and Ine participate in all of the normal college student experiences from dorm life to house parties to nights on the town.  Ine’s character is beautiful, confident, and vivacious and she has no trouble finding acceptance amongst the mainstream community even as a lesbian.  Lukas, on the other hand, often appears afraid and uncomfortable during these public outings as he struggles to feel comfortable in his own skin and has to hide who he really is for fear of not being accepted.

Lukas’ body dysphoria is on full display in several scenes throughout the film.  As he is alone in his dorm room he is constantly fretting about his appearance.  He lifts weights whenever he has the chance and keeps a log of his body measurements to track even the most miniscule of changes.  There are moments when he stares at himself in the mirror, looking for new facial hairs and analyzing the masculinity of his facial features.  These scenes of Lukas alone in his dorm room leave the viewer with a sense of anxiety and sadness as the room is dimly lit and plainly decorated, the focus being on Lukas as he stresses over his body.

Through he and Ine’s after-hours adventures he meets Fabio (Maximilian Befort), a “tall, dark, and handsome” epitome of the masculine ideal.  At first, Lukas appears to be infatuated with Fabio purely for what he represents physically, the body that Lukas wishes to have.  During one scene where Lukas and Ine are at the lake with Fabio and a group of friends, many of them strip down to their underwear to play in the water.  Lukas sits on the dock with just his feet in the water, still fully clothed with layer upon layer to hide his still female body, and watches Fabio as he enjoys the water without hesitation.  Lukas is in stark contrast to everyone else in his group of friends who appear comfortable with who they are and confident in their skin.  Lukas, still early in his transition, is just not quite there yet.

While testosterone therapy has helped Lukas start to look and feel more masculine, he must take extra care and precaution in order to successfully pass as a man to the outside world.  Scenes in the film show Lukas starting out his day by putting on a tight-fitting chest binder to hide his breasts.  Chest binding is an uncomfortable but common practice amongst preoperative transgender males and is used as a temporary way to flatten the chest.  In addition to chest binding, Lukas has to take extra time to carefully layer his clothing to hide any possible aspect of his feminine body.  These extra steps are a painstaking and brutal reminder of Lukas’ differences as a transgender man and the fact that life is just not as simple for someone like him.  He cannot just enjoy this time in his life as his friends do as he is forced to focus his energy on doing whatever it takes to pass as a man.

To complicate things, Lukas begins to have feelings for Fabio.  Fabio reciprocates these feelings as a gay man.  However, Fabio does not know that Lukas is transgender and Lukas struggles with deciding what to do.  Should he cut things off with Fabio or tell Fabio the truth?  It is obvious that Lukas feels comfortable with Fabio and being with Fabio brings Lukas out of his shell.  Their time spent together involves a vibrant night life with loud music and bright lights as Lukas appears to forget his anxieties for a bit and genuinely enjoy himself in Fabio’s company.  However, his decision to tell Fabio the truth could change everything for him.  He could walk away with acceptance and happiness or he could walk away exposed and ridiculed.  Lacking the confidence to tell Fabio the truth, Lukas tries to break things off several times.  But Fabio is used to getting what he wants and relentlessly pursues Lukas.

Lukas ultimately decides to tell Fabio about his transgender identity and it does not end well.  Despite being a part of the LGBTQ community himself, Fabio is not accepting of Lukas and immediately comes off as transphobic.  He makes fun of Lukas and makes derogatory comments about “transsexuals.”  However, he does not out Lukas to anyone else for fear of tarnishing his own reputation.  This lack of understanding and acceptance by another member of the LGBTQ community highlights the unique struggles that transgender individuals face as they search for understanding and acceptance.  There is a scene in the film that occurs shortly after Fabio learns of Lukas’ identity where the pair, along with friends, are at an LGBTQ friendly bar.  An obvious male-to-female (MTF) transgender performer takes the stage and sings.  Lukas becomes entranced with her performance while Fabio makes fun of her as she has an Adam’s apple and a deep voice.  Lukas looks on almost in awe of her confidence but also painfully reminded of how the outside world sees transgender individuals, as something to mock.

Luckily, things do start to turn around for Lukas as he becomes more confident in his skin.  Even Fabio has a change of heart realizing he is attracted to Lukas for who he is as a person and not based on binary gender definitions.  The film ends on a positive note as we get to see Lukas post-op, running on the beach with no shirt on, without breasts.  He finally appears to be happy and unafraid to be himself.  Romeos successfully takes the viewer on a journey of transformation, with all of the highs and all of the lows.  It allows for a realistic representation of one character’s transgender experience.  It is gritty and raw and, at times, painful.  But it is also hopeful.  Lukas perseveres through a lot of the trials and tribulations that transgender individuals face and comes out on the other end, proving that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.