THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P JOHNSON
'A new investigation of a trans icon's 1992 death shines a light on a historically persecuted community in David France's superb documentary … illuminates the persistent discrimination that exists today, and the bonds of community designed to counter it.' – Variety
Marsha P Johnson was the heart and soul of the Greenwich Village LGBT scene. A bubbly and gregarious trans woman who dedicated her life to helping those like her to emerge from the shadows, Johnson's 1992 suicide was a shock and a tragedy to the entire community. But for Anti-Violence Project campaigner Victoria Cruz, the suicide story never added up, and on the eve of her retirement she's determined to find out what really happened to Marsha P Johnson.
Scoring a Special Mention at Sheffield Doc/Fest, Oscar-nominated documentarian and LGBT advocate David France (How to Survive a Plague, MIFF 2012) returns to the screen with a piercing survey of the origins of transgender activism. A dramatic chronicle of two remarkable women and their shared search for justice, The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson is both a riveting true crime whodunnit and an urgent testament to the shared pain, oppression and resilience of the transgender community.