Rusty then Sam (short film, 2010)

Cadance Bell is an Aussie transgender writer and filmmaker. Her documentary film The Rainbow Passage, a co-production with Screen Australia, airs next year on Channel Ten. The film, which Cady also directed, follows her and her wiggly bottomed fiance Amanda across a year in their gender transitions. Cady loves Pokemon Go, short walks to the fridge and the swell challenges of girlifying. Except not having pockets anymore. She really misses pockets.

Rusty then Sam (short film, 2010)

How do I explain to my parents what I am?

This is a question which dogged me for much of my life. For the longest time, I assumed I could never be myself, that my world would collapse if anyone ever found out I wanted to be a girl. So I spoke through art instead, exploring the topic through metaphors.

Rusty then Sam is the third in a trilogy of short films which were secretly about being transgender. It’s my favourite short film. When I eventually came out to them, I showed my parents this short film and we all cried.

After years of hiding it in shame, this film was finally released to celebrate International Day of Transgender Visibility, 2018.