Documentary brings threads of black trans history, New York gentrification, sex work, technology and culture
“The Stroll: The Workers on 14th Street” (The Stroll, USA, 2023) The documentary is an authentic and deeply authoritative project, from Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker. Both of them trace a thread of black trans history, New York gentrification, sex work, technology, and culture that is as well-researched and logically grounded as an academic work.
Director Kristen Lovell draws on her own experience riding The Stroll years ago. Furthermore, Lovell opens the film reflecting on her participation in a documentary about sex work that distorted her story. She makes amends by giving space to trans women whose stories echo through the bricks and alleys of this space in the city.
In New York, from the 1970s to the early 2000s, the Stroll was around 14th St to the waterfront, centered on the Meatpacking District. The erasure was complete. The claw and graffiti have disappeared and, it is estimated, that of the thousands of black trans women who used to practice their craft, too.
The stories are told through the first-person testimony of black trans women survivors, historical footage from the 1970s gay rights marches, and with some evocative storytelling provided by witty, bold animation. Award-winning at Sundance, the film’s combined stories of culture, community, and prostitution make this an intellectually rewarding, as well as intimately compelling, documentary. Hard truths are necessarily told.
Lovell and Drucker expand the conversation to consider the violence that trans women of color face daily. Interviewees recall the 2000 murder of sex worker Amanda Milan, who was harassed and killed while taking a taxi.
The film considers the mobilization effort for trans rights and rights for sex workers that grew out of the tragedy. Activists like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson are remembered for fighting to connect generations of the LGBTQIA+ community. Available at Max.
*Eduardo de Assumpção is a journalist and responsible for the blog cinematografiaqueer.blogspot.com
Instagram: @cinematografiaqueer
Source: Maxima
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.