film review: Transformer

Directed by: Michael Del Monte
Written by:  Michael Del Monte, Paul Kemp
Featuring:  Janae Marie Kroczaleski

ChinoKino score: A-

Review by Allan Tong

There are many documentaries about bodybuilders and, more recently, trans-people undergoing gender re-assignment, but Transformer is both.

Director Del Monte strikes documentarian gold in profiling Janae Marie Kroczaleski, who is/was Matt, a world record powerlifter. As a child, Matt added muscle to ward off bullies, and now as an adult with three children of his own, he still doesn't feel comfortable in her own skin. It's revealing when she says that most bodybuilders, with their ripped biceps and calves of steel, suffer low self-esteem. That insecurity is the thread that runs through Transformer.

the 28th image+nation Montreal International LGBT Film Festival, Nov 26 – Dec 6

image+nation, Canada’s longest-running LGBT film festival, is all set to return for another 10 days of the finest LGBT cinema from across the globe.

From 26 November - 6 December, image+nation 28 will bring to Montréal the cream of world LGBT cinema for an incredible 28th year in a row. With a line-up of unflinching, powerful documentaries, beautifully shot art-house creations, hilarious comedies and more, image+nation 28 has something for all tastes.

This year, for the very first time, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will host image+nation in the cultural heart of Montreal. As well as opening and closing events, the museum will be a primary venue for the duration of the Festival. As part of the image+nation @ MBAM series, where monthly image+nation screenings have been taking place throughout the year, the festival includes Welcome to This House: A Film on Elizabeth Bishop / Where Are The Dolls on Nov 28. image+nation @ MBAM is an intimate series of films and interviews that introduce a new voice and vision exploring the interweaving of identities and cultural expression.