That’s my sister: transgender life in jail and on the street

The Guardian, 2016

A film about the lives of young transsexuals in San Francisco who have found themselves trapped in a cycle of crime and incarceration. With unique access to San Francisco’s jails, I filmed inside the specially segregated trans cellblock and then also with the trans working community in the city's red light district.

I shot and directed the film solo over two week long visits, first week in the jail and second several months later in the red light district to see who I could find. I was incredibly lucky to find my main character from jail Robyn on Polk Street working with a friend. A privileged look into the hard lives of a community, rejected by their own families and society, and now trapped in a cycle of criminality and poor mental health.

Credits

Production Company: The Guardian 

Executive Producer: Valerie Lapinksi  

Film editor: Alex Willis

Filmed Produced & Directed: Nick Leader