Manning Up in R&A Shorts
20.08.2020
James Lórien MacDonald – Jamie to his friends – has come a long way since he thought he was the world's worst lesbian. At 37 years old, he begins testosterone treatments as he transitions from female to male, and at the same time shakes up his fledgling stand-up comedy career by taking every audience with him on this bewildering testosterone-fuelled ride.
What emerges is a half-hour coming-of-age story that is both poignant and hilarious. James launches himself onto the stage with the gusto of a teenage boy. Over the years, his comedy develops a biting social commentary, a reaction to facing the pitfalls in his private life that come from being a trans man: from mental health to romance to a rapidly receding hairline.
Jamie opens himself up to the camera and to his audiences, and discovers that humor is a powerful weapon against prejudice. And his journey to become the person he always wanted to be is an inspiration to anyone who has ever dreamed of taking a risk to change their world.
Director Aira Vehaskaris film Manning will be competing in R&A Shorts in September.