©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival
Film representation has invigorated the independent cinema scene, amplifying the voices of minority groups. However, sometimes univocal descriptions of these groups can undermine their inclusive nature. Lost Bois, the directorial debut from Devyn Galindo, a trans-masc, Mēxihkah filmmaker, captures the quotidian intimacy and pervasive humanity within the transmasculine subculture.
On June 4th, 2024, the Tribeca Film Festival LGBTQIA+ Shorts kicked off with this experimental documentary, spotlighting three transmasculine skaters—Samp, Gian, and Moose—in New York City. Their hedonistic and boisterous lives, filled with making rap music, smoking bongs, and sharing awkwardly sexual messages on a dating app, reflect the rebellious coming-of-age experiences that many of us have encountered.
Galindo, with a transdisciplinary background in photography and videography, has fully established their distinctive aesthetic style of storytelling in their filmmaking debut. The film uses a unique framing technique, juxtaposing several vignettes over the main visual, which adds depth and personality to the everyday lives of the three transmascs. Giving the density over the images, overlapping voice-overs create an electric-like harmony, inviting the audience into a chaotic sense of place rich with diverse voices.
“Adding a queer and trans lens to this editing process was huge for me,” says Galindo. “We wanted this to be art. We wanted this to be layered because we’re so multifaceted and multi-layered. I think you really get to see so many different perspectives with those vignettes layered over the top. And those are intimate moments that we were able to zoom into. So you’re getting so many different perspectives at once.”
©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival
Filtered through Galindo’s artistic eye, the dynamism of the boys and the energy of the city are encapsulated in highly saturated, gritty colors that certainly have a touch of nostalgia.
“I just wanted the colors to be as vibrant as they are. I worked really hard with Connor Bailey, the colorist, to just get the color really to reflect on whatever I’m seeing, I’m envisioned in them,” Galindo states.
Beyond its enthralling visual and audio metaphors, the film’s story arc reveals more benevolence from its characters, showcasing Galindo’s dedication to their community. As the sun sets, the boys share a New York pizza and discuss the dreadful nature of loneliness and their yearning for human connection. In this mellow rooftop moment, the audience sees their vulnerability and humanity beneath their pugnacious “punk” appearances of pierced faces and tattooed bodies. They wrestle with the universal themes of loneliness and the complexity of human communication, much like the rest of us.
This comfortable naivety is an inclusive message from the filmmaker, who is committed to spreading images that reflect humanity and unity within the transmasc community. “My desire with Lost Bois is to provide a glimpse into our culture and show softness, beauty, and openness in hopes of creating less divisiveness and more acceptance within society,” Galindo says. “I hope that Lost Bois can reach and touch everyone, no matter what your background is or where you come from.”
As Galindo calls it “new new queer cinema,” Lost Bois is a refreshing take on the LGBTQ+
community giving artistic lens on everyday endeavors of their self-discovery. The gritty yet beautiful portrayal of juvenile life in Lost Bois revitalizes the idea that, regardless of one’s gender pronouns or sexual orientation, we are all human beings struggling with the inner desire to be seen and heard.
©Courtesy of Tribeca Festival
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