Disclosure, Netflix’s celebrated documentary, depicts the history of trans representation in media via iconic voices of the community. But perhaps what further sets it apart from other documentaries is its on-set culture. Disclosure Trans Filmmaking fellow Nava Mau and producer Alex Schmider shared details on the development and impact of a radically inclusive filmmaking environment.
“The film industry largely has operated with an unspoken mission, an unspoken set of values that have not always created space for people to feel respected and truly valued on set,” says Mau, a series regular on HBO Max’s Generation and filmmaker in her own right, “We have to speak something new into existence in order to create a change in production culture.”
“If we’re looking at the full framework of how trans people have historically been portrayed in TV and film,” says producer and GLAAD Associate Director, Transgender Representation Schmider, “it’s almost always been without our involvement, participation, or perspective.”