Kokomo City

Liyah Mitchell thought her end was near when, during foreplay, she discovered her client was armed. She didn’t hesitate for a second: she attacked him and they fought. Long story short, it turned out he was carrying the weapon purely for self-defense. So they had sex after all, and the transaction was completed.

Anecdotes like this from Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver illustrate the harsh realities that go with being a sex worker—as a trans woman, as a black trans woman—in a big American city. They take stock of their place in the black community. What do their mothers think of them? The testimonies of several men about their acceptance of trans women offer glimmers of hope.

Violence, beauty, wisdom, and sex all vie for our attention in this crackling mix of performances, fictional scenes, and interviews. And all of this was shot, directed and edited by a single person: D. Smith, a transgender woman and former music producer who gives this smoky black-and-white portrait the feel of a slick video clip.