An 18-minute short film about the investigation of a relationship workshop called Dolls, led by and for trans women. GENE, its charismatic power hungry leader is rumored to be running a cult as she helps attendees process their relationship problems – but something more sinister may be going on.
YAN, a junior private investigator hungry for a promotion was hired to find a missing girl named Valeria, last seen at the Dolls location. YAN goes undercover to attend the workshop but, unlike in other investigations, this job requires her to explore personal experiences in order to blend in with the attendees. YAN soon feels conflicted: she’s seeing a darker force is at play, but she’s quickly developing a bond with the Dolls and uncovering feelings she had never investigated within herself.
At the end of the workshop, YAN has a complicated choice to make.
What lengths would you go to in order to move up the ranks?
I’m fascinated with exploring the deeper forces of desire – whether it’s to be seen as equals, to be heard, to connect…or to feel loved. I set this film in Brooklyn in a world like The Stepford Wives where individual identity merges with a group, but this time entirely from the point of view of trans women. As someone who grew up with a vibrant trans family in the Philippines, my curiosity to explore the rich and complicated dynamic within an ensemble is what drew me to write, act and direct DOLLS.
Just like YAN, I’ve had to risk my career in order to live my truth. As painful as it was to confront emotions I thought I had buried, I now know that in order to get through them, I had to face them head on. Modeling ‘stealth’ in New York for eight years, I lived like a spy in a clandestine operation – visible while being invisible in order to protect my cover, always vigilant and aware of my double life. So it’s no surprise that you see espionage storylines threading through my films.
Help us with post-production funds that will go to Editing, Music Composition, Sound Mix and Color. This will help us to complete the film for the 2025 Film Festival submissions.