{"id":24899,"date":"2021-05-31T09:30:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T09:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=24899"},"modified":"2021-05-31T16:12:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T16:12:20","slug":"changing-game-hulu","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/changing-game-hulu\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Changing the Game\u2019 Director and Producer On Why Their Film Is More Urgent Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mack
Mack Beggs in ‘Changing the Game’ (Image courtesy of Hulu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Changing the Game<\/em>, director Michael Barnett\u2019s documentary about transgender teen athletes<\/a>, was timely when it premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. But in the past few months the debate around whether trans kids\u2014and young trans girls in particular \u2014 should be allowed to participate in high school sports has exploded into mainstream consciousness. That\u2019s thanks to a deluge of laws<\/a> moving through state legislatures across the country aimed at forcing trans athletes to compete in high school sports as the gender they were assigned at birth.<\/p>\n

In that context, the film, which follows student athletes Mack Beggs, Sarah Rose Huckman, and Andraya Yearwood, is more urgent than ever. \u201cI just think the film is now just needed more than ever instead of the timing being great,\u201d says Barnett. \u201cBecause it\u2019s not great. It\u2019s the opposite of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahead of the documentary\u2019s premiere on Hulu, GRAZIA<\/em> chatted with Barnett and executive producer Alex Schmider, who also serves as GLAAD\u2019s Associate Director of Transgender Representation.<\/p>\n

Changing the Game<\/em> premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and it has only become more timely since then. You know, on the one hand, that\u2019s great for your film. But the reasons it is particularly timely now are just awful for kids like those featured in the film. What is it like to release the film for a wider audience right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex Schmider: It\u2019s been really unfortunate that the film is so relevant because of the legislative targeting and bullying of these young people. And at the same time, I think the film couldn\u2019t come out at a better time, in that Changing the Game is a tribute to these young people who are the heroes in their own stories. There is so much media surrounding trans inclusion in sport, young trans athletes. And simultaneously, most of that media coverage is not actually centering their voices and experiences as people. So, what I\u2019m really proud about with ‘Changing the Game’ is it\u2019s returning their stories to them, which over the past few years have been taken from them and exploited to justify exclusion.<\/em><\/p>\n

Michael, why did you want to make a film about transgender high school athletes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Barnett: A few years ago, someone very near and dear to me began their transition and came to me for support. And I quickly realized I didn\u2019t have the tools necessary to support them in the way that I knew that I could if I just sort of did my work. So, I really just started a journey to be an ally, to provide love and support. And while I was doing that, I came across Mack\u2019s story. It\u2019s a really compelling story. And I still wasn\u2019t planning on making a film. But I just couldn\u2019t shake it. I\u2019d gotten Alex\u2019s name from a friend and I just reached out. I cold-called him at GLAAD and said, \u201cShould we make this film? Should it be me as the filmmaker? Do you wanna be a part of it?\u201d And right then we started this journey.<\/em><\/p>\n