Framing Agnes

Released Dec 2, 2022

1 hr. 15 min.

Documentary

LGBTQ+

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The pseudonymous Agnes was a pioneering transgender woman who participated in an infamous gender health study conducted at UCLA in the 1960s. Her clever use of the study to gain access to gender-affirming healthcare led to her status as a fascinating and celebrated figure in trans history. In this innovative cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt (No Ordinary Man) uses Agnes's story, along with others unearthed in long-shelved case files, to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed. Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an all-star cast of trans performers, artists, and thinkers -- including Angelica Ross (Pose), Jen Richards (Mrs. Fletcher), and Zackary Drucker (Transparent) -- take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans history. This collective reclamation breaks down the myth of isolation among transgender history-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.

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Critics Consensus

Framing Agnes may be frustratingly uneven as a work of cinematic storytelling, but that's often outweighed by its thoughtful expansion of established historical narrative.

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Chase Joynt

Director

Angelica Ross

Actor

Jen Richards

Actor

Zackary Drucker

Actor

Max Valerio

Actor

Silas Howard

Actor

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Framing Agnes: Trailer 1

2:03

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

A fascinating, multidimensional, mosaic-like glimpse at transgender life from the 1950s to today as interpreted by — and through — a group of transmasculine and transfeminine performers and creatives and one uniquely impressive academic.

Dec 15, 2022

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

With only Garfinkel’s archives to go on, Drucker is able to give a sly, necessarily mysterious air to Agnes’s life. And, yes: the format is quite fun to watch, too.

Dec 7, 2022

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Matt Fagerholm

RogerEbert.com

Essential viewing.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 2, 2022

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Sarah Vincent

Cambridge Day

The narrative switches between past and present, re-creation to reality, somewhat akin to Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce’s 2019 doc “Framing John Delorean” (2019), with Joynt being more on target and effective with the structure.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 16, 2023

Full Review

Keshav Kant

OffColour.org

Having seen all the Trans 101 required material, I went into Framing Agnes expecting honesty, emotions and a dash of trauma. Still, nothing prepared me for what happened in the ensuing 75 mins.

Rated: 8/10

Jul 20, 2023

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Expanding his 2018 short, filmmaker Chase Joynt deconstructs drama, documentary and pastiche in a way that's riveting and entertaining.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 24, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

The pseudonymous Agnes was a pioneering transgender woman who participated in an infamous gender health study conducted at UCLA in the 1960s. Her clever use of the study to gain access to gender-affirming healthcare led to her status as a fascinating and celebrated figure in trans history. In this innovative cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt (No Ordinary Man) uses Agnes's story, along with others unearthed in long-shelved case files, to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed. Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an all-star cast of trans performers, artists, and thinkers -- including Angelica Ross (Pose), Jen Richards (Mrs. Fletcher), and Zackary Drucker (Transparent) -- take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans history. This collective reclamation breaks down the myth of isolation among transgender history-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.

Director: Chase Joynt
Executive Producer: Morgan M. Page, Alex Schmider
Screenwriter: Chase Joynt, Morgan M. Page, Chase Joynt, Morgan M. Page
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Fae Pictures, Level Ground
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.1K

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