Alexandra Grey broke our hearts as a struggling young trans woman on “Transparent,” and she’s poised to tell another emotional story in “Gossamer Folds.” The 1986-set film, directed by Lisa Donato and written by Bridget Flanery, tells the story of a boy with a unhappy home life striking up an unexpected friendship with a trans woman played by Grey. Hailing from Paperclip Ltd. and Mill House Motion Pictures, “Gossamer Folds” has already kicked off production. Deadline broke the news.
The film “tells the story of ten-year-old Tate (Jackson Robert Scott, ‘It’) who is uprooted from the big city and unceremoniously moved to a small town where he is forced to spend a lonely summer bearing witness to his parents’ (Sprague Grayden and Shane West) disintegrating marriage,” the source summarizes. “Tate ends up befriending his new next-door neighbors, recently retired English professor, Edward Bryant (Franklin Ojeda Smith, ‘Boardwalk Empire’) and his transgender daughter, Gossamer (Grey). Despite his father’s knee-jerk transphobia and his mother’s misplaced protectiveness, Tate forms a deep friendship with fellow misfit Gossamer that changes his life and the lives of their families.”
Paperclip Ltd. co-founder and “Simpsons” star Yeardley Smith will also appear in “Gossamer Folds,” as will Brenda Currin (“In Cold Blood”) and Jen Richards (“Tales of the City”). Ava Benjamin Shorr (“Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen”) is the Director of Photography.
Nick Adams, Director of Transgender Media & Representation at GLAAD, advised on the project during pre-production. Paperclip Ltd. had gone to GLAAD after reading the TRANSform Hollywood guide. Created by GLAAD and 5050by2020, the resource provides guidance to creators telling stories featuring trans characters.
“Gossamer Folds” marks Donato’s feature directorial debut. She previously helmed shorts including “There You Are” and “Foxy Trot.” “When We Rise,” “Drunk History,” and “Chicago Med” are among Grey’s more recent credits.
According to research from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, none of the 100 top films of 2017 included a trans speaking character. The 400 highest-grossing films from 2014 to 2017 featured just one transgender character.
