Carl(A)

By: Amos Lassen

"Carl(a)"
When Love is Lost in Transition
Amos Lassen
Eli Hershko's "Carl(a)" is the story of a trans woman who is being rejected by her family while seeking the means to complete her transition. Carl(a) (Joslyn DeFreece) meets Sam, a man who loves her for who she is, but when Carla finally gets the funds to complete her transition, Sam has second thoughts about their relationship. Carla is to choose between being herself, or being some she wasn't for someone else. As it plays on the festival circuit, the film has been a huge success. Just from the short synopsis that I have written here, we can see that the film is relevant today. While it is the story of one woman, it is also the story of many.

Of late, there has been great change in this country regarding the trans population as well as regarding the rights of different races, genders, and sexual orientations. There is still a lot of work to do, particularly for the transgender community who are often misunderstood and demonized.
Carl(a) works an online sex worker but dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She is berated by most of her family members as a "freak." The only people who treat her with any dignity at all are her kindly grandfather (Mark Margolis) and a no-nonsense prostitute (Laverne Cox). She falls in love with a guy (Gregg Bello) but when she looks in the mirror what she sees she says, "this is not me," and must grapple with the consequences of what a series of difficult surgeries will mean for her life.

The film is funny, romantic, challenging and sad but most importantly, it takes us into a trans woman's life.