Based on a true story, transgender filmmaker Iizuka’s remarkable film is set in 1960s Japan, a time of Olympic pride and a crackdown on “public morals.” Anti-prostitution laws targeted women but a legal loophole exempts male sex workers, the so-called “blue boys.” When police arrest the doctor performing their sex reassignment surgeries, the sensational “Blue Boy Trial” begins. Three transgender women, all played by trans actors, take the stand, igniting a national debate on identity and happiness. The story combines a remarkable cast with production and costume designs to recreate the 60’s-era Tokyo of smoky nightclubs and bustling back alleys as well as the intense courtroom atmosphere. Half a century later, this buried history still reverberates in the lives of sexual minorities. Deeply affecting and very relevant.
