The Most Dangerous Year
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"beautifully effective"
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"Inspiring and infuriating at the same time."
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"makes its case effectively."
A Statement From Director Vlada Knowlton
In 2014 my husband and I were not well prepared for the discovery that our youngest child was transgender. At that time the amount of accurate and reliable information about what it means to be transgender was sparse and difficult to find. However, we listened to our child and did as much research as we could. We emerged from that shaking experience with a happier, healthier family and a world of knowledge and understanding. Around that time, I also remember telling my husband that I couldn’t imagine ever making a film about this topic. (I was already working as a filmmaker then). It felt to me like a topic that was so personal and so close to the bone that I didn’t think I could ever do it justice.
In December 2015 my friend and parent support group founder, Aidan Key, called and told me that there were dark times coming our way: an unprecedented wave of anti-trans- gender legislation was about to hit our country and our state. He told me this because he was hoping I could document what was about to happen to the local transgender community and their loved ones. It was at that point that I realized I no longer had the luxury of considering making a film about transgender children optional. This was no longer about me; this was about fighting for the human and civil rights of an extremely vulnerable and under-represented population of people. If I didn’t make this film, who would?
I began filming that same month. I followed our local political story to its completion when we found out that the anti-transgender ballot initiative (I-1515) failed to gather enough signatures to get their measure on our November ballot. I filmed the tense and prejudicial Senate hearing for the anti-trans bill SB 6443, the somewhat bizarre Superior Court hearings that covered the I-1515 ballot title challenge, the contentious Senator Joe Fain town hall meeting, and the vitriolic and chaotic press event organized by the group sponsoring I-1515.
Thankfully there were also events that were more pleasant - sometimes even joyful - to document, such as the Snohomish School District meetings and all the gatherings and rallies that involved our small but impassioned community of transgender rights activists and allies.
Through it all I forced myself to take off my Mama Bear hat and put on my Filmmaker hat whenever necessary, doing everything I needed to do to remove myself from emotional turmoil and craft a film that I felt could make a difference. It was very important to me to tell the story in an objective and factual way and let both sides of the battle speak for themselves in their own voices. I believed that representing the anti-transgender-rights arguments clearly and authentically would best serve the film’s audience when thinking through the issues. As difficult as that was, I found that as a parent, when you are forced to defend your child’s life and future, your reservoir of willpower and fortitude is limitless. -Vlada Knowlton
In December 2015 my friend and parent support group founder, Aidan Key, called and told me that there were dark times coming our way: an unprecedented wave of anti-trans- gender legislation was about to hit our country and our state. He told me this because he was hoping I could document what was about to happen to the local transgender community and their loved ones. It was at that point that I realized I no longer had the luxury of considering making a film about transgender children optional. This was no longer about me; this was about fighting for the human and civil rights of an extremely vulnerable and under-represented population of people. If I didn’t make this film, who would?
I began filming that same month. I followed our local political story to its completion when we found out that the anti-transgender ballot initiative (I-1515) failed to gather enough signatures to get their measure on our November ballot. I filmed the tense and prejudicial Senate hearing for the anti-trans bill SB 6443, the somewhat bizarre Superior Court hearings that covered the I-1515 ballot title challenge, the contentious Senator Joe Fain town hall meeting, and the vitriolic and chaotic press event organized by the group sponsoring I-1515.
Thankfully there were also events that were more pleasant - sometimes even joyful - to document, such as the Snohomish School District meetings and all the gatherings and rallies that involved our small but impassioned community of transgender rights activists and allies.
Through it all I forced myself to take off my Mama Bear hat and put on my Filmmaker hat whenever necessary, doing everything I needed to do to remove myself from emotional turmoil and craft a film that I felt could make a difference. It was very important to me to tell the story in an objective and factual way and let both sides of the battle speak for themselves in their own voices. I believed that representing the anti-transgender-rights arguments clearly and authentically would best serve the film’s audience when thinking through the issues. As difficult as that was, I found that as a parent, when you are forced to defend your child’s life and future, your reservoir of willpower and fortitude is limitless. -Vlada Knowlton
ABOUT THE FILM:
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Directed by Vlada Knowlton
Run Time: 90 min
Product Number
UPC: 602573752791 Now Available on DVD and Digital
Synopsis: As a dark wave of anti-transgender bathroom bills began sweeping across the nation, The Human Rights Campaign called 2016 the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. Filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a group of embattled parents - including herself and her husband, parents of a young trans girl -- fighting to protect their children from discriminatory laws in their home state. While Knowlton passionately follows the story of anti-transgender legislation, the heart of the film lies in the stories of the families who accept and support their kids for exactly who they are. |
