Mr. Angel

This feature length documentary chronicles the extraordinary life of transgender activist, educator and porn pioneer, Buck Angel. His in-your-face style of activism has audiences outraged by his insistence that he is "a man... who happens to have a vagina."

While there are not many interviews besides with Angel himself (Dan Savage being a notable exception), that is all you need. You learn of his years in female modeling, his years of drug addiction, and the identity crisis that transgender people go through.

Angel may not be typical in that he has not gone through all the surgeries, but he does have one thing going for him: he is sympathetic and genuinely nice. Transgender people today (2014) are not universally accepted, and it seems that some activists are pushing the issue hard. Angel prefers to open a dialogue rather than yell. It works.

If you are into health—physical, psychic and emotional—being yourself, loving yourself regardless of what the mainstream, misogynistic patriarchy may have to say about your differences from that norm, see this film. Be inspired by Buck Angel's perseverance and ability to remain grateful and positive about his life's calling; which also we can see becomes fluid throughout the documentary. Buck is a survivor and is driven in a way that is true to the best of his abilities.

Buck encourages us to keep learning. To expand from the rigidity of binaries that enslave us in so many ways, but specifically gender fluidity. He reveals through his experience that the world is more complex than we have been conditioned to believe or know for ourselves unless we try.

This film is so well done, from the pacing, the extensive, thorough and beautiful footage, and the control that the 'subject' Buck has over how he is represented is artistic and brilliant. Best piece of cinema I have seen in over a year.