Alexandrina Andre
She/Her
"One Life to Blossom"
One Life to Blossom is the name of my documentary and it follows former I Am Cait star Blossom C Brown, a black trans activist, as she gets face feminization surgery. This is the first feature that I've done after graduating from film school, and I'm sure you would understand when I say being a black woman in film school was not easy, so I'm very proud and excited about this documentary.
It tackles a lot about the black community and it features some of Blossom's protests and shows people like Don Lemon and The Breakfast Club's Charlamagne Tha God. I would really love to communicate with you and I would also love for you to watch it as well. As a black woman who is not transgender, I really want to show that allyship can come in so many different forms and show that there are people in the black community that does stand up for the trans community.
The documentary is currently streaming on Philo, Plex, and Revry TV, and we just got distribution for Tubi TV! It should be premiering on Tubi in September. I also attached a press release down below. Please let me know if you have any questions or need a downloadable file of the film.
Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/346141
What got you into filmmaking?
I got into filmmaking at a very young age. I loved to watch shows on MTV and UPN, like Truelife and Moesha, and I always watched The Oprah Winfrey Show. I would take my barbie dolls and put them in pretend shows. I had different “episodes” that I created, and I think my mom caught me one day and jokingly told me that I should make movies one day, and that stuck with me. I then joined my elementary school’s morning news show as the camera operator, and it just grew from there.
Is this the first and only film you're worked on? If not what other projects have you been a part of?
One Life to Blossom is my first feature film! I have directed and written two short films, “Flora” and “Reversed,” that ran the festival circuit and showed at festivals like the BronzeLens Film Festival, Cinequest, and Palm Beach International Film Fest. You can watch them now on my Free the Work profile or my Youtube page.
Why did you work on this project?
The biggest reason why I wanted to do this film was to get Blossom’s story out to the world so that people could see the life of a black trans person that wasn’t a “stereotype” or “trauma porn.” So many times, all we see about black trans people are black cis people vs. the black trans community or death. One thing I noticed was so many p.o.c. disregarding the humanity of trans people, and that bothered me. I wanted to make her story seen so that people could connect and see that even though yes she is trans and yes she has H.I.V., but she’s thriving in her life, and she’s a positive, happy person making a change in the world. And there’s so much inspiration in that. We have a lot of similarities that we as p.o.c. so instead of attacking each other or those who are different than us, this film helps us connect and see life through a different lens.
What has been your favorite part of this project?
My favorite part has been honestly seeing people’s reactions to the film. I’ve had one person tell me that their grandparent watched it with them, and it opened their eyes to what trans people go through. I’ve had a couple of college students say that they want to become filmmakers, activists, or more vocal about issues going on in their communities, as well. The positivity has been great!
What is your favorite part about being a filmmaker?
It’s the connection with people that make all this worth it. I get to make films that inspire people the same way certain films and shows inspire me. I get to show people another person’s point of view in hopes that it makes the world more understandable and makes the planet a bit nicer, even if for an hour, and that’s incredible.
Top 3 Movies that you love or inspire you?
OMG, just three, okay! So these three films inspired me as a director and writer. 1. Do the Right Thing -Spike Lee (All Day, Everyday)! 2. Paris is Burning -Jennie Livingston 3. All About My Mother -Pedro Almodovar
Follow me on Instagram @alexandrina.andre for news on what’s coming up and my Youtube page: youtube.com/c/AlexandrinaAndre
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