The vast majority of films with transgender storylines that we get to view are remarkable for their sheer bravado and how they each make such a significant contribution to the continuing dialogue about the transgender community. Dreamlife however went much further and completely blew us out of the water
Australian Georgie Stone is such an exceptional young woman who knew from a very early age she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body. She not only had the good fortune to have a very supportive family, but she learned to articulate her feelings at such an early age.
In this excellent short documentary filmmaker, Maya Newell impeccably weaves a wealth of archival footage shot over Georgia’s childhood with her now as a young adult. What comes as a complete surprise to us is that the obstacles in her way to fully transitioning are not from family, friends, school or her doctors, it is actually from the Australian Government.
They, and only they, are the only ones who must give permission for a child to start the necessary treatment which is in two stages. Which in turn meant they had to go to Court twice to sue to get this permission.
This changed the outraged and outspoken teenager into an activist to passionately campaign for the law to be changed once and for all.
Newell cuts in between seeing Georgie in the hospital about to undergo some gender reassignment surgery to working the lecture circuit to promote her aspirations to get the law changed for all trans teens. We see her even trying to persuade the Australian Prime Minister to endorse the movement.
It’s such a powerful uplifting tale of one very un-selfish teen who could have easily focused on fitting into a society that is still so ignorant and hostile to trans people. Instead, she fought this battle, which we know, will not be her last as at the end of the film we see her now as an actress and being the first trans person cast in Australia’s most famous soap-opera Neighbors
We know that she will continue wanting to break down barriers, and this is not the last we have heard of Georgie Stone
The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone is screening on Netflix Please support https://transcend.org.au/?
Review : Roger Walker-Dack
Editor in Chief : Queerguru
Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT
Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributung Editor The Gay Uk &Contributor Edge Media
Former CEO and Menswear Designer of Roger Dack Ltd in the UK
one of the hardest-working journalists in the business' Michael Goff of Towleroad