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A Universal Story About Self Acceptance

“Diane from the Moon” is a compelling short film starring Mya Taylor (who could be the first Transgender actor to receive an Oscar nomination for her work in Tangerine) with a goal of increasing positive transgender visibility. Pop culture continually fails to adequately represent trans people. Often, even in stories about trans protagonists, films do not use transgender actors. More often, trans characters are written as the brunt of jokes. Diane is not one of those characters; she is strong, positive, and—most importantly—a multifaceted human being. She is a representation of a beautiful community that needs to be seen and heard.

In the aftermath of a hurtful breakup with her girlfriend Alice, Diane begins living out of a posh 1960s hotel in Palm Springs. As we witness her day-to-day struggle with alcohol abuse, heartache, and solitude, a battle emerges between her strength and her self-loathing.  It is during this personal journey that Diane encounters Tex, a rough, enigmatic character who is quick to assert to Diane that she is “not a real woman”. Tex constantly belittles Diane, preventing her from focusing on her real issues. Diane fights to overcome this oppression and move on.  Just like with any person, the path to self-acceptance is full of little victories and intense losses. The film depicts a battle between a confident woman and her fears, a battle that is not won in a single moment but through a sustained effort each day.

“Diane from the Moon” was conceived when directors Hanna Ladoul and Marco La Via first moved from Paris to Los Angeles. They rented a room from Raven who was in the midst of her transition. Hanna and Marco were struck and inspired by Raven’s courage. Witnessing their friend’s day to day ups and downs made them strong allies of the trans community.  Hanna and Marco felt they needed to make a film from a transgender perspective. Raven assisted them with writing, revealing some of the horrors transgender women must deal with, including harassment, violence, and stalkers. “Diane from the Moon” addresses both these external threats and their internal processing in one’s struggle to live an authentic life.

On the process, Director Marco La Via says “As a film team, we’ve enjoyed getting to know our local trans community in Los Angeles. We wanted to spend time with these women to increase our own understanding and make sure we had their support before making a film centered around a transgender woman. It has been the greatest human experience, filled with laughter, stories, tears and dancing.”  La Via continues, “we have found our Diane in the wonderful Mya Taylor. Mya has proven herself in the acclaimed film Tangerine and currently has an Oscar nomination campaign underway. She has received praise from Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter and OUT.”

“Diane from the Moon” will be Taylor’s debut in a drama film. “I’m very excited about diving into Diane,” Taylor said. “I think she is what I really need to be playing at this moment. Not only as an actress, but also to show how it is in the transgender community. The script really shows in depth how trans people are actually treated.”

How can you help? By backing the project on Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/diane-from-the-moon. Aside from backing the campaign, the most valuable thing you can do for “Diane from the Moon” is share it on your social media. We feel like this is a project worth sharing and we hope you do.

 

 

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