Trace Lysette hopes her lead role in the film "Monica" will create lasting change for trans representation in Hollywood. The film, directed by Andrea Pallaoro, follows a transgender massage therapist who returns to care for her estranged, dying mother. Lysette delivers a chilling performance as Monica, a grieving woman grappling with abandonment trauma who maintains hope for love and family connections. While "Monica" is not overtly political, Lysette believes its "delicate" take on a fraught mother-daughter relationship may help it reach a broader audience.
Trace Lysette, star of the new film Monica, discusses the importance of trans representation in cinema and the challenges facing trans actors in Hollywood. Monica, which premiered at the Venice film festival last year, tells the story of a trans woman who returns home to reconcile with her dying mother. The film eschews many of the conventions of trans cinema, instead focusing on the humanity and emotion behind the characters. Lysette hopes that the film will help to showcase the experiences of trans women who have lived their lives on their own terms.
"Monica" is a family drama about a transgender woman named Monica who returns to her mother's home to care for her as she is dying. Monica was expelled from her home by her mother at a young age and now works as a massage therapist and does video sex work. The film explores the relationship between Monica and her mother, Eugenia, as they confront their painful past and try to reconcile. The performances by Trace Lysette and Patricia Clarkson are compelling in their restraint, and the cinematography amplifies the feeling of examination.
