In My Shoes

Director: Mat Govoni and Monique Schafter
Release Year: 2014

The documentary In My Shoes, co-directed by Monique Schafter and Mat Govoni, offers an intimate and deeply personal look into the lives of five young transgender people who share their experiences of growing up and discovering who they are in a world that often misunderstands them. The film is not just a window into their journeys but a mirror reflecting the reality of countless transgender youth who face both moments of beauty and hardship as they come to terms with their identities. It asks a simple yet profound question: what is it like to grow up transgender? Through their own words, the participants answer with honesty, courage, and humor, inviting the viewer to step into their shoes and see the world from their perspective.

 

The documentary is a collaboration between The Gender Centre Inc. in New South Wales and the Transgender Anti-Violence Project, produced by Tahlia Trijbetz, who serves as the Transgender Anti-Violence Project Officer. It is an initiative built on empathy and understanding, aiming to amplify voices that are too often silenced or ignored. By giving young transgender people the platform to tell their own stories, the film avoids the trap of speaking about them and instead allows them to speak for themselves. Each story is unique, yet together they create a powerful narrative about identity, resilience, and the universal human desire to be accepted for who we are.

 

Co-director Monique Schafter, a Walkley Award-winning journalist known for her work on Hungry Beast and 7.30 on ABC TV, brings her journalistic insight and compassion to the project, while Mat Govoni, an award-winning director and cinematographer, captures the raw authenticity of each participant with sensitivity and skill. The result is a film that feels genuine and unfiltered, portraying transgender youth not as subjects of pity or curiosity but as vibrant individuals with dreams, fears, and an undeniable sense of hope. The inclusion of the original rap “Spring” by transgender artist Harri Harding adds an extra layer of expression, connecting art and identity in a way that feels celebratory and liberating.

 

What stands out most in In My Shoes is how it highlights both the joy and the struggle of growing up transgender. The young people featured in the film speak candidly about moments of affirmation and happiness, like the first time someone uses the right pronoun or the feeling of seeing themselves reflected honestly in the mirror. They also speak about the pain of rejection, the fear of violence, and the heavy weight of misunderstanding that many transgender individuals carry from a young age. Yet despite these challenges, what emerges most clearly is their strength. Their courage to live authentically, even when it feels impossible, is at the heart of the film’s emotional power.

 

The documentary also serves an educational purpose. It aims to help the wider community understand the realities facing transgender and gender-diverse youth, while at the same time encouraging those who might be struggling in silence to seek support. It reminds viewers that behind every statistic or news headline are real people with complex lives, laughter, tears, and dreams. In that sense, In My Shoes is not just a film but a call to empathy. It invites audiences to listen, to learn, and to challenge their assumptions about gender and identity.

 

The involvement of development consultant Kate Doak adds another thoughtful dimension to the film’s creation. Her expertise and experience in transgender advocacy ensure that the stories told are treated with respect and authenticity. That authenticity resonates throughout the film, from the way the young participants describe their families and friendships to their reflections on the future. They talk about wanting to live ordinary lives, to find love, to feel safe, to be seen, and to thrive. In their honesty, they remind us that being transgender is not solely defined by struggle but also by strength, creativity, and joy.

 

Ultimately, In My Shoes stands as a testament to the importance of visibility. It shows that storytelling can be a powerful form of activism, capable of breaking down barriers and changing hearts. For transgender people of all ages, the film offers reassurance that they are not alone and that support is available. For others, it offers a chance to listen and to better understand what it truly means to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

 

If anyone watching the film is experiencing violence, harassment, intimidation, or abuse, the Transgender Anti-Violence Project at The Gender Centre is there to help. But perhaps the greatest achievement of In My Shoes is that it leaves its audience with both understanding and hope, the understanding of what life can be like for transgender youth, and the hope that with compassion and support, those young people can walk confidently toward a future that fully accepts them.

 

via: youtube

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Image credits: YouTube