Framing Agnes

In the 1950s, far before the word transgender was used in the mainstream, Agnes Torres approached the UCLA Medical Center seeking sex reassignment surgery. Born male, Torres always felt she was meant to be in a woman’s body, and she was one of the first public figures to make this dream a reality. Through her transitional process, Torres met with sociologist Harold Garfinkel, who recorded their conversations about Torres’ life as a trans woman. Garfinkel’s work with Torres became the first known American case study of a transgender individual’s experience. For decades to come, Torres’ life would be seen as a source of inspiration and strength within the LGBTQIA+ community. But, as it turns out, she was not alone in her endeavors. Years later a small group of filmmakers would discover dozens of other transcripts from interviews that Garfinkel gave to other people who had successfully transitioned; people whose stories were never told publicly. Filled with true-to-life reenactments of Garfinkel’s interviews, the experimental documentary FRAMING AGNES examines these powerful untold stories alongside the stories of the modern day trans people who play these historic icons. —G.S.