95' 2019 USA director: Michael Barnett cinematography: Turner Jumonville editing: Michael Mahaffie, Amanda Griffin production: Superfilms!
Sarah, Andraya, and Mack, three transgender American teens in Michael Barnett’s film, are passionate about sports, which becomes the focal point of both their opportunities and barriers. Sarah and Andraya want to compete with women, while Mack wants to wrestle against men. The Texas Championship doesn’t come with the sweet taste of victory—his female opponents didn’t have a chance, and the wave of hatred he has to face would break many an ambitious athlete. The rules of the game differ from state to state and from university to university, just as the social perception of the protagonists in Barnett’s film also takes on many forms —from cruel hate to solidarity and support. Changing the Game is a socially engaged documentary whose impact stems from its dynamic production and its flawless rhetorical strategy: It’s hard to imagine more convincing spokespersons than Sarah, Andraya, and Mack, and we can root for them as they face their daily struggles, with the knowledge that what is really at stake is what their lives will be like.
