The Masculinity Project: Virtual Screening of REALNESS by David Barclay Moore

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and ITVS recently launched a web-based “virtual screening" series, which showcases some of the latest short documentaries from the Masculinity Project. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A and give audience members worldwide the opportunity to engage with the filmmaker. Filmmaker David Barclay Moore is known for his films about Black male culture and how it interacts with and influences others. Below he discusses his latest film REALNESS, which explores masculinity from a female’s perspective who's transitioning into a man. The film will have a virtual screening tonight at 8:00 PM EDT. Shortly after being approached to take part of the Masculinity Project, David Barclay Moore believed it was essential to explore masculinity through a female’s perspective. “Masculinity is not relegated to the realm of biological men,” Moore said. “Masculinity is a fluid construct, which each of us adapts to our own lives. With modern science, it’s easier nowadays to mold our outward appearance to fit our inner being, but there are still consequences to that and the journey of transformation is not an easy one.” Filming the subject was no small task. Moore was in charge of nearly everything involved in the film’s production. According to him, the longest and most challenging part of the process was the research phase of pre-production. “During this period, I was teaching myself about transgenderism and trying to find a subject who fit. This pre-production took a while, but it made the resulting production run more smoothly,” he said. Moore spent months researching the topic and meeting with a wide range of women including masculine heterosexual women, Black lesbians and a former woman who transitioned to male and is raising a son. He eventually selected his main subject, Tika, not only because of her willingness to participate, but because she and her girlfriend Nicki had a powerful and compelling story. Moore’s film lets the audience in on Tika’s transition and ultimately asks the difficult question: Are black men coddled by traditional structures of family and relationships? Watch REALNESS tonight and join the discussion >> Learn more about the Masculinity Project >> In addition to tonight’s virtual screening, REALNESS will run the film festival circuit. Colleges, groups and other institutions may also schedule screenings and lectures. Find out how >>