🔗 Share this article

Transgender documentarian Sam Feder's newest documentary "Increased Examination" provides a powerful two-part perspective – simultaneously an personal profile of a prominent transgender advocate and a critical examination of media coverage surrounding trans rights.

Legal Struggle at the Supreme Court

The film documents ACLU attorney Chase Strangio as he gets ready for court proceedings in the important highest court case US v Skirmetti. These arguments happened in December 2024, with the court ultimately ruling in favor of Tennessee's position, essentially permitting limitations on healthcare for trans youth to stay in effect across over twenty US territories.

We created Heightened Scrutiny in merely 16 months, stated Feder during a conversation. By contrast, my earlier film Disclosure took me five years, so this was a real push. Our purpose was to raise conversation so people would understand more about the case.

Personal Narrative Amid Legal Struggle

While Feder provides a comprehensive analysis of how major media outlets have spread transphobic narratives, the film's most valuable accomplishment may be its engaging portrayal of Strangio. Usually a measured lawyer in media settings, Strangio displays his vulnerability throughout the documentary.

That was a major challenge, to open up parts of my life to a filmmaker that I had strived to keep personal, shared Strangio. Feder told me he wanted the next generation to know that we fought, to see what was done in defense of these struggles for our basic existence.

Varied Voices in the Struggle

To enhance Strangio's account, Feder includes multiple trans activists, such as well-known individuals from activism and entertainment. The documentary also features viewpoints from cisgender supporters who critique how respected publications have contributed to damaging portrayals of transgender individuals.

The experience of transgender youth central to the legal case is represented through a extraordinary young student named Mila. Viewers observe her advocating for her fellow students at a educational meeting, with later footage showing her demonstrating for transgender rights outside the Supreme Court.

Intimate Moments Beyond the Legal Battle

The documentary also features touching moments where Feder transcends the never-ending legal struggle, such as footage of Strangio traveling in Italy and getting a body art featuring words from activist Pauli Murray's poem "Prediction."

This ink sequence is among my favorites in the movie, shared Strangio. Being tattooed is almost like a reflective process for me, to be totally engaged in my body and to consider it as a vessel for things that are significant to me.

Physical Autonomy and Portrayal

The filmmaker's focus to thoughtfully capturing Strangio getting to his body art emphasizes that this documentary is fundamentally about trans bodies – not just those of young people who face denial of their ability to live authentically in their own bodies, but also the physical forms of the various interviewees who are featured in the film.

I create films with a message, and part of that is picking people who are outstanding and concise enough to hold the camera, shared Feder. When people ask me what they should wear for an interview, my response is anything that makes you feel confident. This is important to me – as transgender individuals, we struggle so much with our appearance.

Impact and Hope

One element that makes Feder's films shine is his evident skill for making his trans interviewees feel comfortable, acknowledged and appreciated. This methodology creates genuine chemistry between Feder and Strangio, enabling the filmmaker to accomplish his aim of presenting Strangio as a multifaceted human being and leaving a record for future generations of how persistently he and others have campaigned for transgender rights.

I hope not people to find themselves in a place of perpetual despair because of what the law is not giving us, explained Strangio. I aim to be in a practice of using the law to minimize harm, but not to transform it into some kind of conduit for our freedom possibilities. The government is not going to be the reflection through which we perceive ourselves. We are that mirror, and it's very vital that we continue having that conversation together with dialogues about pushing against these laws and practices.

Heightened Scrutiny is presently accessible for online viewing during Trans Awareness Week and will receive a more extensive distribution at a later date.