Romeos

Synopsis:

Twenty year old Lukas is a female to male (FTM) Transgender man, taking the steps through his gender reassignment treatment. His friendship with Ine, who is lesbian, is making the changes and assimilation easier. Lukas sees his romantic world open up for him as Ine introduces him to gay life in Cologne. As he becomes more and more interested in a local gay boy, things are getting more and more complicated.

Quick Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised by Romeos. Most queer trans films focus on male to female (MTF) transitions. So it was quite refreshing that “Romeos” chose to show the difficulties of MTF transitioning. Not surprising, the same hurdles are faced: discrimination because the outside appearance is different from what is on “paperwork”, such as as with being denied housing among the other guys at school. (And the subsequent issues it causes in the female dorm too). However, “Romeos” adds another level: Lukas is also working through his feelings and foray into the gay scene. Not only is Lukas dealing with gender issues, but orientation – and “Romeos” succinctly points out that they are two separate issues. Some critics lambasted the film for casting an obvious-looking male as Lukas, it doesn’t do real justice to the FTM trans world (and even remark that it’s really a gay film instead of a trans film). However, while I do wish they would have cast a trans person in the role, I think it was a smart move to portray the FTM Lukas in a stereotypical manly image. Not only does it help create the drama with his gay crush, Fabio, but it forces the viewer to also question their own preconceptions. Unfortunately, the film has some cinematic issues along with an odd pacing that lost me a bit. However, I strongly encourage everyone to watch “Romeos.”