Framing Agnes
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Framing Agnes – Hot Docs 2022

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April 28 to May 8, 2022

Film Info


Framing Agnes Poster

A UCLA study about sex disorders from the 1950s and 1960s is reenacted in the style of a talk show in . Using never-before-seen transcripts from the archive of Dr. , filmmaker sets out to recreate Garfinkel’s interviews with gender non-conforming individuals. Garfinkel’s key subject was Agnes (), who would go on to be a cult figure in the trans community.

Framing Agnes is a film best described as an extended dramatization by director Chase Joynt and writer Morgan M Page, with additional historical context provided by trans historian . The film employs a cast of transgender artists to play the subjects of Dr. Harold Garfinkel’s study, which in addition to the titular Agnes included black trans woman Georgia (Angelica Ross), trans ambassador Barbara (), reclusive writer Henry (), working-class man Denny (), and trans teenager Jimmy ().

Framing Agnes is a film that seeks to recontextualize a point in trans history when gender non-conformity was still an incredibly taboo subject, with the historic 1952 sex change of having only happened a few years prior. The challenges and prejudices of the subjects of Dr. Harold Garfinkel’s study still remain relevant today, as the transgender community continue to fight to be accepted by society.

Trailer for Framing Agnes – Hot Docs 2022

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Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.

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