A Mom & Her Son Give An Intimate Look At His Transition In 'Adam's Apple' — Watch The Exclusive Trailer
In Adam’s Apple, a transgender teen and his mom chronicle the journey they and their family go on as he hits various milestones in his transition and adolescence.
Amy Jenkins, the film’s director, collaborated with her son, Adam Sieswerda, weaving together two decades of footage that tracks Adam’s path to manhood and offers an intimate look at a family reckoning with the changes that path brings. Take a look at our exclusive debut of the trailer below:
Jenkins tells SheKnows that her film is intended to chronicle the “rhythms of adolescence,” even the “difficult moments.”
“I’ve always had a camera by my side from the time I was really, really young,” she says. “I have been building what I would call my motherhood archive throughout my children’s lives. But we collaboratively began filming when Adam was given a camera in high school.”
“When Adam was fifteen years old and just beginning to consider hormone replacement therapy, he found role models in YouTube ‘transition’ videos but not in mainstream media,” Jenkins adds in her director’s notes. “Affirming representations of trans youth and their families—stories that normalize rather than sensationalize their lives—were sorely lacking. We agreed that a truthful model of a supportive family and a self-assured trans teen needed to be available. The film grew from this shared conviction, told through our intertwined perspectives as mother and son.”
With intimate access to Jenkins, Sieswerda, and their family via their personal video archive, the film shows tough conversations and joyful moments in equal measure.
“Trans kids dance at prom, jump through sprinklers, and love playfully and deeply,” writes Sieswerda in a statement. “I hope that Adam’s Apple will be one small part of a powerful movement for representation, respect, and unconditional love for all trans kids on this earth.”
The documentary, which premieres at SXSW on March 13, before its international premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen on March 17, offers a counterpoint to the hostility targeting trans youth today amid the constant stripping back of trans rights in the United States. It is a celebration of change and the joy in becoming oneself.
The film was produced by Brit Fryer and edited by Kristina Motwani.