Thoughts on Authenticity

Much of the criticism about Tangerine is that it is directed and primarily written by a cis-gendered white male. In an article written by Nigel Smith for The Guardian, Sean Baker, the writer/director of Tangerine, said that he spent eight months on the streets of LA getting to know the people and the area they live in. The two leads in the film, Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, introduced Baker and his team to their friends and brought them into this world of LA. When there is intense consultation and in-depth research, it is acceptable, while not ideal, for an outsider to make a film surrounding a certain community.

The Guardian article sheds light on one of Rodriguez’s requests to Baker before making the movie. “She said: ‘I trust you, I want to make this movie with you, but you have to promise to show the harsh reality of what goes on out here. These women are here because they have to be, and I want you to make it hilarious and entertaining for us and the women who are actually working the corner.’” Baker said. With that in mind, we got the film we can watch today. Baker informed us that the request was asking a lot because he was going to approach the subject in a completely different way. This shows why a member of the community is required to be present during the inception of the story. Without Rodriguez’s help, the movie would not have felt so real and so authentic.

In another article in The Guardian, Baker expresses that he believes that it is the only respectful way to honor this community is if he commits himself. During the process of preproduction, he became friends with the people he was surrounded by and genuinely wanted them to be represented on screen properly. Passion is one of the main things that is required to do justice to a different community. Baker had the passion and determination to tell the story that was the most accurate.

It is important to consult with the members of the community before writing anything about the topic. Without any research, Baker would not be someone who should tell the story of transgender sex workers in LA. But he used his medium and his storytelling abilities to shed light on this community. He was able to use what he knew and what Rodriguez and Taylor knew to build something. That is what is so beautiful about filmmaking; it brings people with different talents and voices together to create an individual piece of art. The cinematographer knows about cameras. The production designer knows a lot about production design. The director knows a lot about directing. And in this case, the actors know a lot about the story and characters that the film is depicting.

I recently made a film in the fall centered in the drag queen community. I wanted to tell a story within the gay community and I believed that drag would be a unique world to explore with a narrative story. I wanted to use my knowledge of film and my identity as an LGBT filmmaker to help shed light on the gay community. Before I even had a story, I talked with a handful of drag queens and got to know what their experience was like coming into drag. They told me how they found drag and I realized that it was not only an art form but a way to truly express oneself. I would go to weekly drag shows and get to experience how they performed, what they did to prepare, and how they wound down. I was nervous telling a story about drag queens but I was able to submerge myself in the community enough to tell an authentic story. The greatest compliment I received was from a drag queen on set saying that the dialogue in the script would be something she would say in real life.

It is possible to tell authentic stories within a community that you do not identify in as long as you dedicate yourself and your team into getting to know what you are talking about. Immersion is the only way someone can truly tell a story about another community. People have to show passion and an open mind when exploring the topic. Baker did that and what was on screen felt like an authentic experience that a transgender sex worker would have. In my experiences and personal feelings, if someone is ready to do the work and put in the time to learn and experience a community, they can use their platform to help bring that community to the mainstream media.