Synopsis:
On an unknown date in August 1966, trans women in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district rioted against police violence at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria. There was no news coverage, and the arrest records no longer exist. Decades later, historians Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman unearthed the history of the riot and interviewed the surviving “Compton’s queens.”
Quick Thoughts:
I really loved this short trans documentary. It’s an important documentary because, as the title cards and synopsis indicate, it highlights a historic trans riot that history nearly erased. Yet I also loved how writer/director Drew De Pinto filmed this documentary. Of course there are the typical full framed face interviews, but they do something quite unique by framing the interviews with the queens present at the Compton’s Cafeteria on a retro color TV. The current-day protest is hauntingly yet beautifully balanced with a queen’s vocal performance, that all simply cuts off at the end. This trans short documentary is powerful, and worth watching!
Watched?
Yes
Reviewed?
No
Worth It?
Where to Buy/Rent/Stream “Compton’s 22”
Sources are correct when review was posted.
