FINDING KIM presents a Seattle transgender man and follows him through his transition period. Born to conservative parents and assigned as female at birth, Kim was raised a girl, yet never really felt comfortable in his own body. Through years of confusion, frustration, drug use and isolation, Kim finally came to the realization that he was more comfortable living life as a man, and began the transition to his true identity. The film, directed by Aaron Bear, joins Kim about three months into his testosterone regimen, and follows him through the top surgery that helps him to finally adopt his true self.
Over the course of the film, we see the many changes that Kim is going through, and he shares his thoughts about the transition and the impact the transition is having. Identity issues have caused some very difficult moments throughout his life, from childhood through adulthood. He has finally made the decision to transition after living as a woman for almost 50 years, and is excited to be making this change. Kim shares with us his thoughts about the process - his hopes, his concerns and worries, the changes his body and life are undergoing, as well as introspective thoughts on his past, and the way gender and a lack of a secure identity have impacted his life.
Included in the film are interviews with a number of transgender and LGBTQ activists, including Carmen Carrera, Dan Savage and Buck Angel, among others. Many of the people participating in the film themselves transitioned over 20 years ago, and are happily living as their preferred gender. They discuss the challenges and hurdles of their own experiences and how those experiences are felt and observed by many in the trans community. They also discuss just how far the trans movement and conversations have come since they made their own transitions, having done so in a time when information was far less prevalent and the community was much more difficult to find and access.
Aaron Bear and DP Gabriel Bienczycki do a wonderful job in highlighting the personal nature of Kim’s individual story, while also making it a part of the trans community at large. Participation from other transgender people and activists and footage and interviews from the Seattle Transgender Pride event set this story as one of many, and highlight the collective support of the transgender community itself. Kim’s story, while individual and personal, is one shared by many, and telling it in this way helps all of these individual paths to join together.
The film is wonderful and deeply touching. Kim’s transition is amazing to watch in that we get to see it go beyond the physical. Certainly, there are many changes that his body undergoes over the course of the treatment, but more than that, we get to see him feeling more and more comfortable with himself over the course of the documentary. His outlook seems to be drastically different by the end, as he seems noticeably happier and healthier. By sharing his experience with us, Kim opens up very personally and allows the audience to see him embody himself and become the person he wants to be - the person he has always been, yet was never able to fully express before now. His happiness at these changes is infectious, and it is amazing to be a part of these moments with him, sharing in his joy and seeing the impact that his decision is having on his life. In a time that sees the trans community in the spotlight with so much unwarrented negativity and harassment, it is heartening to see a story filled with so much positivity and warmth, and one that reflects the heart of the community, rather than politics and fears surrounding it.
