Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film 156: Chase Joynt Explores Transgender History in "Framing Agnes"
Chase Joynt has explored transgender topics in several films including "No Ordinary Man" about jazz musician Billy Tipton and his latest "Framing Agnes", now available on VOD. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Chase to discuss how trans experience has traditionally been filtered by outsiders across the spectrums of medicine, academia and media. Chase also reflects on what it means to be releasing this film against a backdrop of backlash, violence and anti-trans legislation.
"Framing Agnes" premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award in the Next section. "Framing Agnes" draws upon a rare archive of interviews with trans and gender non-conforming people conducted in the 1950s. The interviews were undertaken by sociologist Harold Garfinkel who is portrayed by Chase in the film's reenactments. The director enlists other trans actors to perform the transcripts of subjects who were interviewed by Garfinkel. The cast includes Zackary Drucker as Agnes, Jen Richards as Barbara and Angelica Ross as Georgia.
Chase gives credit to other collaborators on the project including sociologist Kristen Schilt and historian Jules Gill-Peterson.
On Instagram: @chasejoynt @thompowers1 @purenonfiction