The University of Calgary Film Society presents Movies That Matter:

The Pearl

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 @ 7:00 PM
The Gallery Hall, Taylor Family Digital Library - University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB
Admission by Donation | FREE for Students w/ ID

For our October screening, we'll be presenting The Pearl (2016).

The Pearl explores the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman against the backdrop of post-industrial logging towns in the Pacific Northwest. The film leans into the struggle of those who were reared and successful as men and have reached middle age or later with a burdensome secret that they can no longer keep.

We travel with four women, all in extremely early stages of coming out, as they attend the Esprit Conference – an annual event in northernmost Washington where transgender women that have lived closeted their whole lives come together in an environment that allows them to express their true identity. From here we follow these same 4 women over the course of nearly 3 years as they grapple with varying degrees of transition.

“This daring documentary explores the struggle of trans-womens’ quest for identity and, more important, their struggle to find a safe space.” – TownVibe Review

“It’s a reminder that transitioning takes far more than simply saying ‘my sex and gender don’t align.'” – Digital Journey Review

“Pearl” employs the radical immersion style favored by a number of young modern documentarians on display here” – Los Angeles Times

“By emphasizing the mundane, The Pearl asks viewers to see these women in their natural habitat, which is the same occupied by so many of the rest of us. Valuing simplicity, the movie erases any prejudiced notion of “us” and “them.” ” – Paste Magazine

A Film by Jessica Gimmick and Christopher Lamarca

30 minutes Q&A with the directors to follow the screening.

Admission is free for students with ID, and for the community with donation (cash or non-perishable foods) to the food bank.

Seating is limited so please arrive early. 

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