bethanyj
This documentary is extremely well-made, taking the subject of gender that many tend to steer away from and making it personal, emotional, and applicable. Robert Eads is faced with a profound irony - after living his life as a man, he finds that the only biological part of him that is female is killing him. The infuriating piece of this story is that he is denied treatment because of his gender identity. The tragedy of this story is powerful, and it allows viewers to see the reality of society's prejudices against people who do not fit into perfect categories. The end of the film leaves viewers with an important question, "Nature delights in diversity. Why don't human beings?"
idreaminamythyst
At its essence, Kate Davis's film, Southern Comfort, is about a transgendered man who is dying from cancer in his female reproductive organs. Southern Comfort is more than this, however. It also deals with the intricacies of the social community that the main character, Robert Eads, has surrounded himself with since transitioning from female to male, details the romantic attachment that Robert has formed with his girlfriend Lola Cola near the end of his life, and examines the dynamics between Robert and his genetic family. More than this, Southern Comfort engages in a discourse on human sexuality that serves to enlighten the audience viewing the film on the realities of transgendered life in the backcountry of the Deep South.
Haydeck
This has to be the best documentary I have ever seen. Just a matter of time when someone will do a movie about Robert Eads, the most extraordinary southern cowboy. This documentary could have been mediocre if it wasn't for him, his incredible wit, optimism and intelligence. A real man from head to toes who ironically died of a widespread ovarian cancer, primarily because no doctor wanted to treat a transsexual. It is a marvelous real life drama that doesn't preach, it simply delivers the story that deeply touches you, points out the stupidity of prejudices and inhumanity of American health system and rises questions about what gender really means.
Bob
This film won the Grand Jury Documentary prize at Sundance this year.Against the narrative of Robert, a transgender female-to-male responding to the irony of ovarian cancer, the director creates a deeply moving portrayal of love and determination in the face of prejudice.Robert lives in rural Georgia, which he describes as "Bubba country" and the "home of the KKK." Nonetheless most of Robert's encounters with the heterosexual community are recounted as upbeat examples of surprising tolerance. Without any pretense, artifice, or apology, he is magnetically compelling in speech and movement. His complete lack of bitterness sets aside the distractions of his cancer, enabling the viewer share his satisfaction in life as a man and his joy in his relationships.In spite of challenging subject matter, this documentary of Robert's self-selected "family" of transgendered men and women (and one heterosexual partner) is unerring in its ability to humanize without condescension. By not politicizing or sensationalizing her subjects' gender issues, the director has achieved a profoundly affecting emotional depth.The film is loving and in its clarity, refreshing. I recommend it highly.
AD
