In contrast to its eloquent subjects, director P.J. Raval's documentary about Trinidad, Colorado — the "Sex Change Capital of the World" — seems uncertain about its aspirations. The film makes a good start as it establishes how the Catholic hamlet acquired its title. It also introduces three transgendered residents, one of them the new doctor in town, who's "an artist" first and surgeon second (close-ups of vaginas she's "sculpted" support this). The stories of the women' and their kids are moving, but the portrait lacks narrative tension and, thus, focus. In addition to the expected Bible Belt bigots, the filmmakers drop in bloody footage of genital-reassignment surgery without much elucidation (what is that big piece of skin?) and show us banal squabbles. The result vacillates between revelation and reality-show shtick.
SOMERVILLE THEATRE: APRIL 26 at 5:45 PM | WITH DIRECTOR PJ RAVAL
