This June, give yourself the gift of a piece of trans cinema history. digital media, it’s important to remember films like I Want What I Want that would be completely wiped out of history if it were not for internet preservation as the film has been out of print since before many of us reading this were alive. With the constant debates surrounding physical vs. Yes, there are some aspects that haven’t aged well considering it’s nearly fifty years old, but even the decision to have a cis woman (Anne Heywood) play the trans woman lead is groundbreaking considering we’re still putting male actors in bad wigs and calling it “cinema” in 2021. Based on the book of the same name, I Want What I Want is an out of print movie lost to time and it’s a terrible shame because it is one of the most sincere presentations of a trans affirming film ever made.
Trans representation in cinema is pretty damn terrible if we’re being honest, but there are a handful that rise above the top and offer a genuinely thoughtful approach to telling a trans story. Hilarious, heartwarming story of a obsessive-compulsive writer, a gay artist, and the waitress who changes both their lives.
