Directed by D. Smith, follows the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.
You can often find documentaries that are harsh and slapping you in the face with a difficult, painful reality but while Kokomo City could do that, it takes a fascinatingly open, honest and relaxed route. A big part of that is the sincere disillusionment of its subjects, violence is so much a part of their daily lives, talking about it comes across extremely naturally. It doesn’t make the information any less harrowing but it’s compelling to see it dealt with in such a blunt and organic manner.
A lot of the style is conversational, letting the women wind through the different stories that they have to tell. That’s then mixed with an artistic, somewhat experimental, style of editing and more structured footage. At certain points it almost feels as though it’s wandering into arthouse territory, as if it’s nodding to erotic cinema. It is also quite messy, it can play around with the camera angles and focus too much at times, it doesn’t have a tendency to sit still.
Primarily Kokomo City gives you a strong, raw look through the eyes of Black Trans women. It’s doing real justice to their perspective and highlighting how much they are typically at risk. There’s a lot of harsh stories about their experiences but it never feels sombre. It holds onto the idea that ultimately it is a celebration of these women, serving as a reminder for them to be confident in who they are and love-themselves, in spite of all the hate.
One of the other interesting and poignant elements that Kokomo City explores is how masculinity plays into the conversation. Dipping into why particular men are especially attracted to Trans women, and the struggle some of them have to come to terms with that. A struggle that is often taken out upon the women. Bringing men into that discussion adds another layer to the film, adding extra context to the already strong perspective.
Kokomo City is an exploration of being Trans, being Black, sexuality and self-love. D. Smith brought together a group of truly authentic, frank and enthralling women to tell their stories. It can be brutal at times and artistic at others, it can also feel haphazard and messy. It’s one of a kind and exploring a very necessary conversation about the safety of Trans Black women, in a surprisingly blunt way.
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