The Journey Home
dir. Noah Lei Underwood
Cinematographer — Jacob Gandy | Composer — Nat Blakesley
2023
A creature considers its current bindings and finds them wanting.
“The cinematography was astounding, the reality of body dysmorphia is captured so well as the bright and inviting visuals turn dark and gritty. This is a much needed short film, bringing to light transphobia, the emotional effects on the individual and what it manifests into in The Journey Home.”
— Big Fridge International Film Festival
The Journey Home was born from thinking about the dichotomy of binding, and my own relationship with it. It is by placing unhealthy amounts of pressure on my body that I find some semblance of relief.
With the field and The Man, I wanted to materialise the potential that is inherent in that relationship. Here is the eventuality of where a trans person might see themselves, free of societal expectation — existing naturally in natural spaces.
I’ve chosen to take literally the criticisms of self-mutilation that are so often hurled at those who choose to undergo gender-affirming care and procedures, following dysphoria’s urgings to a chilling end; presenting the result, however horrifying the process, as the reality of arriving somewhere that feels more akin to home.
This overlaps with the idea of the queer or trans body as monstrous. The Othered and dehumanised character of The Creature is a manifestation of society’s transphobia, as well as trans people’s own internalised hatred prior to self-acceptance.
I fundamentally wish to stress the complexity and infinite nature of trans realities. My journey, perspective, and voice are but a minute fragment of this community’s experience, but I hope that they resonate and find their audience.
