In 2011, CeCe McDonald was unfairly incarcerated after fighting back against her attacker. The media misgendered her and CeCe was forced to go to a male prison when she identifies as a women. From this, a movement began in order to support CeCe and other trans women, especially those of colour. The transgender community, including acclaimed actress and advocate Laverne Cox, came together to bring attention to institutionalized transphobia and to CeCe’s cause.
Free CeCe is an important documentary and call-to-action about the criminal and social injustices that this community continues to face on a daily basis. Where the documentary falls short is in the way the story was laid out. It would have been a stronger film if we learned about who CeCe was before her incarceration, before actually learning about her incarceration in the film. Film structure aside, Free CeCe is still a powerful chronicle about a trans woman’s story that needs to be seen.
Rating: 6.5/10
Screening on May 28, 2017 at 1:45 pm. More Info.
