Over the last three years, director Tony Zosherafatain documented the lives of trans people in some of the red states in America who were most impacted by the disastrous and dangerous Trump administration.

Speaking to them, the Iranian-American director said: “As soon as Trump was elected, I had a really bad gut feeling about what was going to be done to harm the transgender community, along with other marginalised Americans. The title for the series came into my head three days after he won the election.”

Zosherafatain, who is trans masculine, travelled through North Carolina, Texas, Idaho, and Mississippi and found his subjects in trans support groups.  The stories range from a trans veteran who was denied serving his country due to Trump’s trans military ban to a trans pupil who wasn’t allowed to use the school bathroom and facilities that were most appropriate for them. 

But, it was also important for the director to document some of the joy. “Even during the darkest moments during the Trump era, you had these trans people creating joy, even in small ways,” he maintains.

Trans in Trumpland will be available to stream on Topic’s website on 25 February 2021.