Title: One Leg In, One Leg Out
Director: Lisa Rideout
Year: 2018
Duration: 14 min
Keywords: documentary; LGBTQ; sex-work; empowerment; acceptance; toronto
Link to watch the film: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/short-docs/season-1/episode-53/38e815a-00db2484a44
Student name: Isabella Haley
“Never say never…cause you never know where you’re going to end up.” This popular aphorism is embodied in Lisa Rideout’s award-winning short documentary, One Leg In, One Leg Out. The short doc follows Iman, a Black trans sex-worker, on her ambitious journey transitioning out of sex work in pursuit of a social work career. A seasoned filmmaker, Rideout constructs a seemingly cinematic narrative arc of the underdog, careful to keep a flexible frame in which the complexities of Iman’s lived experiences are made visceral.
Iman is determined, charismatic, booked and busy. However, she never thought she would end up working on the corner, and as the observational film progresses–with a seemingly structured arc–it becomes clear that her work is taking a toll. Positioning the film as character driven, social determinants of health, barriers to education, and the intersectionality of Iman’s identity are explored without force. The short doc flows with ease, and music by DijahSB (https://soundcloud.com/dijahsb/sets/manic-luxury) aids in maintaining the film’s rhythmic balance, defining the narratives segments.
In a subtler way, this film examines the tension which grows between lifestyle and one’s commitment to following their purpose. Iman mentions the lack of resources and human rights for trans women in Toronto as her motivation to help “girls like [her] on the corner.” One could pinpoint the short doc as being politically adjacent, guided not by policy but lived experience. Rideout is cautious to avoid quintessential “blaxploitation” sensationalism and does so by focusing the lens on Iman’s everyday life. Specifically, as we follow Iman’s first stages of transitioning out of the sex-work industry and into social work advocacy, the complexity and intersectionality in being a Black trans woman is exposed. Vehemently challenging the misconceptions of sex-work as a choice, Iman aims to close the gap of care and guidance for other trans women in the sex-work industry who “don’t have [a] voice.” In this way, the short doc falls in alignment with ethnographic principles and cinematic story structure, creating space for visions of the future and thick insights into the Black trans Canadian experience.
Holding an MA in Critical Media and Cultural Studies alongside her MFA in Documentary Media, Rideout’s filmmaking process is clearly informed by ethnographic principles of emphasizing lived experiences, complexity and making the Other familiar. Lisa Rideout’s long-term relationship with Iman began while working on her short documentary Take a Walk on the Wildside, which explored a local Toronto crossdressing store which Iman would frequently visit (https://gem.cbc.ca/media/short-docs/season-1/episode-65/38e815a-00e221fd1e0).
Using Iman’s critical analysis of her own positioning as a guiding lens in her thick depiction, Rideout leaves room for viewers to question their own perceptions of difference and the Other. Employing the ethnographic gaze through her choice to remain hidden behind the camera, Rideout misses what could have been an opportunity to reflexively address the camera as an extractive tool with the potential for violence, especially in contexts of working with marginalized individuals. Nonetheless, she makes use of filmmaking as an act of care. Conscious of the practical intelligence held within Iman’s lived experience, Rideout is careful to portray Iman’s experience through experience. In this regard, the ways in which Iman makes sense of her positioning on-screen create a framework for supporting and dismantling the barriers Black trans women face in Canada today.
With critical praise and credits directing for big names such as Netflix, Crave, CBC and Vice, it is not surprising that the film comes across as intrinsically cinematic. This quality within the CBC-supported short doc is most evident in its intimate portrayal of the hero’s journey archetype. However, Rideout liberates Iman from the expectations which accompany three-act story structures by ending the film as her journey truly begins. “Imma be alright, a couple bad days doesn’t mean a bad life” echoes through the end of the short doc, with lyrics from DijahSB reinforcing Iman’s determination, as she rises–quite literally, in an elevator–to the challenges that await her. Her journey will be arduous. By the end of the film, you will be cheering for her success.
Watch One Leg In, One Leg Out: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/short-docs/season-1/episode-53/38e815a-00db2484a44
Consulted Sites & Interviews with the Director:
Film reviews for anthropology passionates 