Genre
Synopsis
For decades, RAINN has positioned itself as a lifeline for survivors of sexual violence. Thousands of volunteers have answered hotline calls from their homes, offering anonymous care during some of the most difficult moments in people's lives. Among those volunteers are transgender people, children of immigrants, survivors, who joined because they believed every survivor deserved care.
When volunteers begin noticing references to transgender people and immigrants have quietly disappeared from RAINN's site, research, and referral resources, many are told internally "nothing has changed." Yet for volunteers fielding calls—and survivors searching for those resources—the changes are impossible to ignore.
This documentary follows hotline volunteers across the US as they uncover over-compliance with Executive Orders, organize collectively, and advocate for a restoration of inclusive care. Some lose positions they have held for more than a decade. Others remain inside the organization, navigating the tension between continuing to support visitors and speaking out about institutional decisions that place marginalized survivors at greater risk.
At the center of the film are people whose labor has largely remained invisible. Working alone from their bedrooms and living rooms, they spend countless hours supporting strangers through crises while carrying their own histories of survival. Their activism doesnt end when the hotline shifts end; it follows them home, into relationships, community organizing, and difficult decisions about whether institutions they once loved can be transformed.
Through intimate observation, archival, and poetic animation, the film expands beyond one organization to examine a larger cultural moment in which institutions increasingly narrow who is recognized, protected, or even blamed.
Ultimately, this is a film about the people working behind the scenes to protect spaces of healing—and what it costs to insist that "all survivors" truly means everyone.
Director Identity
Bio
Lexie is a trans multimedia artist whose work revolves around themes of bodies, homes, cyclical violence, and queer identity. They have been working with survivors of dometic violence and sexual assault for over 15 years - generating events, writings, books, and short films - with a special focus on fellow trans and childhood sexual abuse survivors. They've organized 120+ relevant public and private events, trainings, and panels at non-profits, universities, and more. They are a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, resigned member of the RAINN National Leadership Council, and a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for their anthology WRITTEN ON THE BODY. Lexie integrated their personal experiences into the acclaimed THE SHIP WE BUILT, the first middle grade novel centering and written by a trans boy released by a major USA publisher, and is adapting it into a stop-motion feature film. Lexie's work has been featured in Teen Vogue, New York Times, Huffington Post, Feminist Wire, Ms. Magazine, Them, Bust Magazine, Autostraddle, as well as JKP's SURVIVING TRANSPHOBIA. WHAT WILL I BECOME? is Lexie's co-directed debut feature documentary and will have its world premiere Berlinale Generation 14plus and have its US national broadcast premiere on PBS.
Credits
Producer - Nina Chaudry
Advisor - Brit Fryer
