MY GENDER IS BLACK: An Experimental Portrait of Identity, Expression and Defiance

 

Directed by Terry Blade | 20 min | Experimental, Documentary

Cinematographers: Thomas Geller, Ross Hillier, Calvin Thompson, Gianmaria Palombo, Hans Peter Schepp, Morton Lovechild, Shahar Rosenfeld

Cast: Cristian Julian Chigbolu, Ujah Ogbole, Big Sexy, Jay Hill, Syd Tillman, James Baldwin

It takes distinct courage to tackle under-discussed cultural realities, and even more to do so without relying on traditional cinematic formulas. My Gender Is Black, a 20-minute experimental documentary from director Terry Blade, achieves both. The film actively dissects the complex intersections of Black queer identity, transmasculinity, and the often-policed vulnerability of Black manhood, transforming these heavy themes into a deeply immersive, moving-image experience.

Blade’s primary objective is clear: to ensure these marginalized identities are not just heard, but visually felt. To accomplish this, the director completely derails the conventional talking-head documentary structure. Instead, the film operates as an associative montage, fusing contemporary art aesthetics, interpretive dance, high fashion, and the rhythmic pulse of rock and hip-hop. By weaving together recurring visual motifs - flowers, skin, shadows, and saturated color - the film examines how Black bodies are read and misread before they even speak.

That boldness is especially notable considering that My Gender Is Black marks Blade’s first documentary short. The filmmaker approaches the subject with a clear desire not merely to inform, but to make audiences look differently at the people and identities being represented. The film’s festival recognition—including selections at Chelsea Film Festival, Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, Way OUT West Film Festival, and Massimadi: Afro LGBTQ+ Film & Arts Festival—reflects the work’s ability to enter spaces already engaged with questions of identity, culture, and representation.

There is still room for the film to become even more layered. A carefully integrated narrator or additional voiceover could have provided another connective thread between some of the film’s more abstract visual passages, giving certain ideas an added sense of cohesion. 

Blade has made a notably ambitious first documentary, one that chooses experimentation over convention and visual expression over easy answers. There is an unmistakable artistic voice here, and perhaps most excitingly, the film suggests that this may only be the beginning of what Terry Blade can bring to the form. 

Rating: 4 out of 5