The Stroll

2023, Cecilia Gentili, Ceyenne Doroshow, English, Rudy Giuliani, USA, Zackary Drucker,

Director: Zackary Drucker and Kristen Lovell
Release Year: 2023

Synopsis:

"The Stroll", a poignant and powerful documentary directed by Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker, sheds light on a crucial but often overlooked chapter of New York City's history. Set against the backdrop of the city's Meatpacking District, "The Stroll" offers a raw, unflinching portrait of the Black and Latina transgender women who worked as sex workers in the area during the 1980s and 1990s. The film provides a platform for these women's voices, documenting their lives and struggles through archival footage, personal stories, and interviews. The documentary not only chronicles their fight for survival in a hostile environment but also highlights the significant role they played in the early movement for transgender rights.

 

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Meatpacking District of New York City was a bustling hub for trans women working in the sex trade, a place colloquially known as "The Stroll." Before the area underwent significant gentrification, the district was notorious for its grimy, dangerous streets, and was one of the few places where transgender women, often facing systemic exclusion from other forms of employment, could find work. For many trans women of color, particularly Black and Latina women, this stretch of 14th Street between Ninth Avenue and the Hudson River became a refuge of sorts—a space where they could make a living while also building a tight-knit community. "The Stroll" illuminates the harsh realities of life for these women, who faced daily violence, harassment, and policing. Yet the film also showcases the remarkable resilience, solidarity, and camaraderie among these women, who, in the face of extreme marginalization, created a sisterhood that sustained them. It is this juxtaposition of violence and survival, of oppression and solidarity, that forms the heart of "The Stroll".

 

At its core, "The Stroll" is about the people who lived and worked in this space—trans women who navigated the intersections of race, gender, and poverty in the face of a hostile society. The film is deeply personal for Kristen Lovell, who not only directed the film but also lived through these experiences as a young Black trans woman in the 1990s. Lovell began documenting her own life as a sex worker in the Meatpacking District while enrolled in a media training program at a youth shelter. Her experience working in the district, coupled with her growing interest in documenting the lives of other trans women, eventually led to the creation of "The Stroll". In an interview with "The Los Angeles Times", Lovell explained how she was the only Black trans woman in her cohort of young people at the shelter. She recounted telling her peers about the harsh realities of life on 14th Street, which led her to start documenting the lives of other transgender women in the area. Lovell's archival footage—capturing both the gritty reality of life in the Meatpacking District and the vibrant, often joyful moments of community building—forms the backbone of the documentary. In 2020, Lovell teamed up with Zackary Drucker, a seasoned documentary filmmaker and trans activist, to co-direct the project. Drucker brought his extensive experience to the table, having worked on films such as "The Lady and the Dale" and "The Disappearance of My Mother", which also tackled themes of gender and identity. Together, Lovell and Drucker crafted a film that is both a personal narrative and a collective history—a documentary by and for the trans community.

 

One of the most striking aspects of "The Stroll" is its unflinching depiction of the violence, policing, and societal neglect that trans women of color faced in the Meatpacking District. In the 1980s and 1990s, trans sex workers were frequent targets of police brutality, often arrested and harassed simply for existing in public spaces. The film highlights the constant threat of violence these women lived under, with police routinely turning a blind eye to the abuse they endured from clients and passersby. The documentary also captures the impact of gentrification, which slowly began to transform the Meatpacking District into the upscale, trendy neighborhood it is today. As the area was gentrified, many of the spaces where transgender women once worked were erased, and the people who had once found refuge there were displaced. Through interviews with women who survived this era, "The Stroll" chronicles not only the violence and injustice they experienced but also their mobilization in response. The murder of Amanda Milan, a Black trans sex worker who was killed in Times Square in 2000, is a pivotal moment in the film. Her death and the media's lack of attention to it galvanized the trans community, leading to a mobilization for justice and visibility that would become an important part of the transgender rights movement. Milan's death, alongside the persistent violence against trans women, helped spark an awakening in the trans community about the need for collective action, safety, and legal protections.

 

"The Stroll" blends archival footage, photographs, and interviews with trans women who worked in the Meatpacking District, offering a rich, multifaceted view of this important chapter in transgender history. The film’s use of archival footage is particularly impactful, including rare clips of RuPaul visiting the area with a film crew, capturing a moment when the queer community was beginning to gain more visibility in mainstream culture. These historical materials, paired with firsthand testimonies from trans women who lived through the era, give the audience a visceral sense of the lived experiences of trans sex workers in the district. The women featured in the film, many of whom are now advocates and activists, speak candidly about their struggles, their survival, and the sense of community that sustained them. Figures like Ceyenne Doroshow, Lady P, and Tabytha share their stories of resilience, resistance, and transformation. They recount how they not only survived the dangers of sex work but also fought back against the systems that sought to marginalize and erase them. The film concludes with a powerful moment from 2020, when 15,000 people gathered to celebrate the success of a fundraising effort to support housing for Black trans people, underscoring the continued relevance of the issues addressed in the documentary. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for transgender rights, especially for Black and Latina trans women, who continue to face disproportionate levels of violence, discrimination, and poverty.

 

Since its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize for clarity of vision, "The Stroll" has garnered widespread acclaim. Film critics have praised the documentary for its unapologetic portrayal of trans lives and its refusal to shy away from the difficult realities of life on the margins. In a review for "The Hollywood Reporter", David Rooney highlighted the film's balance of documenting both the persecution faced by trans women and the strength of their community, calling it a "captivating paradox." Likewise, Jude Dry of "IndieWire" emphasized the film’s authentic portrayal of life on "The Stroll," noting that it is one of the few documentaries to center the voices of trans sex workers themselves, rather than relying on an outsider's perspective. Critics have also drawn comparisons between "The Stroll" and other significant works of trans history, such as "The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson". Fionnuala Halligan of "Screen Daily" described it as a "companion piece" to Johnson's story, recognizing it as a vital contribution to the continuing struggle for transgender rights. Chris Vognar of "Rolling Stone" compared the film to classic New York films like "Midnight Cowboy" and "Taxi Driver", noting its stark portrayal of the city in its rawest form. The film has resonated particularly with trans audiences, many of whom have long felt excluded from mainstream historical narratives. As Guy Lodge of "Variety" wrote, "The Stroll" is a trans history project "created by, and in service of, the trans community," a community that has often been ignored or erased from the pages of history.

 

"The Stroll" is not just a documentary; it is a vital historical document that gives voice to a group of women who have long been marginalized in both the public sphere and the queer community. Through its focus on the experiences of Black and Latina transgender sex workers in New York City's Meatpacking District, the film tells a story of resilience, survival, and transformation. It is a celebration of the community that formed in the face of extreme adversity, and a reminder of the ongoing fight for justice and equality for trans women, particularly trans women of color. By capturing the rawness of the lives lived on 14th Street and providing a platform for those who lived them to tell their own stories, "The Stroll" helps ensure that the voices of these women will not be erased. In doing so, it creates a powerful narrative that is not only a reflection on the past but also a call to action for the future of transgender rights.

 

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Image credits: YouTube