Free CeCe!
Reel Affirmations 2016
Saturday, Oct. 15
5 p.m.
GALA’s Tivoli Theatre
While much progress remains to be made, trans issues finally seem to be seeping into the public consciousness. Enter Free CeCe!, which documents the story of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald, who was imprisoned in a men’s jail in 2011 on a second-degree manslaughter charge after defending herself from a transphobic attack. CeCe’s imprisonment quickly became a lightning rod for LGBT activism, with a grassroots movement springing up to demand her acquittal and release. Her plight caught the attention of actress Laverne Cox, who took up her cause and appears in a central role in the film, visiting CeCe in prison and conducting most of the film’s interviews.
A relatively small portion of the 90-minute running time is actually devoted to the events surrounding CeCe’s arrest and sentencing. This first act is by far the most powerful and engaging part of the film, depicting an investigation into the crime in the style of Making a Murderer. The film is careful not to take a position on the murky legal proceedings, although the producers do make their sympathies clear and we are left to doubt whether justice was really served.
The remaining two thirds of the film document CeCe’s life after her release from prison. It rightfully celebrates her life and newfound role as an activist, and is full of inspiring moments and important, sobering messages. Jac Gares’ documentary suffers, however, for raising more questions and topics than it can possibly cope with in an hour-and-a-half.
Despite its many tangents, Free CeCe! is deeply moving. Both Cox and CeCe make it clear that many trans women of color have not been lucky; they have to navigate a society that is in many ways still deeply hostile towards them. The film reinforces the urgency of trans activism through its explorations of the daily reality of catcalling and misgendering to the institutional transphobia that suffuses the criminal justice system. Free CeCe! makes it clear that complacency in this cultural climate is inexcusable, and all too often deadly. At a time when the life expectancy of a black trans woman is 35 years and public bathrooms have become a cultural battleground, Free CeCe! is an important and timely film.
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