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# Films to Stream for Transgender Awareness Week
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/transgender-awareness-week-streaming-roundup/
- Published: 2020-11-16T19:08:17.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:51:33.000Z
- Description: From a look at the contemporary NYC ballroom scene to a portrait of an undocumented caretaker, here are some lesser-known movies about trans characters and subjects.
- Author: Dan Schindel
- Tags: Film, Netflix, Review, Streaming, transgender, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 09:08 (2019, 2020, part 3)

This is [Transgender Awareness Week](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender%5FAwareness%5FWeek?ref=hyperallergic.com), a celebration of trans identities leading up to the annual [Transgender Day of Remembrance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender%5FDay%5Fof%5FRemembrance?ref=hyperallergic.com). In observance of this occasion, here are a few lesser-known films about trans subjects, mainly by trans filmmakers, that are easily available to stream.

## Lingua Franca (2019)

Isabel Sandoval wrote, directed, and stars in this independent feature about an undocumented Filipino trans woman working as a caretaker for an elderly woman in Brighton Beach. Her romance with the woman's grandson brings to the fore her anxieties about being exposed — on multiple levels. A well-observed work that delves into many social issues without being obvious or exploitative.

*Available on* [*Netflix*](https://www.netflix.com/title/81172223?ref=hyperallergic.com)*. Read* [*our original review*](https://hyperallergic.com/lingua-franca-isabel-sandoval-netflix/)*.*

## Strong Island (2017)

Director Yance Ford investigates the murder of his brother by a white man in this measured but potent documentary. No regular true crime film, this is a searingly personal attempt not just to grapple with the death of a family member, but also to pay tribute to their life. Ford became the first openly transgender director to be nominated for an Academy Award for this film.

*Available on* [*Netflix*](https://www.netflix.com/title/80168230?ref=hyperallergic.com) *and* [*YouTube*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdmm4m3ft3Y&ref=hyperallergic.com)*.* *Read* [*our original review*](https://hyperallergic.com/365596/a-siblings-documentary-about-his-brothers-mysterious-murder/)*.*

## Kiki (2016)

A documentary on ball culture in New York City may draw inevitable comparisons to *Paris Is Burning*, but this 2016 film is very much doing its own thing. Both a joyous celebration of a vibrant subculture and a serious look at the material conditions of the people who participate in it, the film demonstrates how much has and hasn't changed for voguing and drag since the 1990s.

*Available on* [*various platforms*](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/kiki?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.*