- From the underground scene of the most radical and fascinating city in the world comes the revolutionary story of four transgender activists, their fierce struggle and emotional fight to create an identity of their own.
- SYNOPSIS (SHORT)
New York, 2007-2017. Over a decade, and filming only with a home video camera and no script, the director delves into the private world of Amanda Lepore, Chloe Dzubilo, Sophia Lamar and T De Long; four artists and transgender activists from the city's underground scene. Little by little, their testimonies reveal fragments of a past -sometimes dramatic, always fascinating and simply extraordinary- that formed their identities and transformed their lives. Their words, fears and hopes take the audience from an outsider's point of view to being emotionally invested in their destiny.
SYNOPSIS (LONG)
New York City at the turn of the 21stcentury. Four transgender artists from the city's underground scene -Amanda Lepore, Chloe Dzubilo, Sophia Lamar and T De Long- go beyond honesty, passion and tears, to reveal how their fight for freedom built a bridge between transgender activism and Manhattan's alternative nightlife scene. Through intertwined narratives, fragments of their past are gradually unveiled, inviting audiences to reflect on the complexity of fate, hope and survival, and their unique struggle against adversity. In the process, we become not only passive spectators of their fight, but also confidantes of their extraordinary stories and lives.
'I Hate New York' also tells, for the first time, the story of Chloe Dzubilo, trans artist and HIV activist, who since the '90s played a decisive role as an advocate for the transgender community as well as people living with AIDS during the height of the epidemic.
Over a decade (2007-2017) and filming only with a home video camera, limited resources and without a script, filmmaker Gustavo Sánchez explored Manhattan's East Side. Intuitively, he built up an authentic visual narrative about the city's identity, now almost forgotten. In particular, he set his eye on the survivors of the art and club scene that emerged in the late '80s and began to fade after 9/11. It was a time when the trans community and trans artists blended with the punk, disco, rap and new wave scenes, using music and also performance art as venues for expression and activism.
Always on the move and capturing a unique moment in time, the camera travels effortlessly from behind the scenes, through narrow hallways, in and out of cabs, along steep staircases, and out to the middle of the city's bustling streets, into the bowels of underground dives and sleazy motel rooms, dark bathrooms and impossible dressing rooms, while capturing looks, gestures, confessions and intimate moments soaked in honesty and emotion.
In lieu of a structured narrative, the stories are woven together by the film's soundtrack; a meticulous track selection that includes music by acclaimed contemporary artist ARCA, as well as Academy Award®-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, renowned experimental musician and sound explorer Alva Noto, and iconic drag singer Sharon Needles. 'I Hate New York' unique wall of sound also adds the punk-rock music of the Transisters, whose story is part of the film.
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