Climbing Every Mountain: a Docu Series by Transilient
We believe that storytelling is a powerful and radical form of healing and can plant the seeds of restorative justice. Because of this, we have decided to create a documentary series that chronicles the experiences of trans people who face mental health issues on a daily basis in Appalachia. Seeing and hearing from those directly impacted by these issues provides audiences with a personalized connection to these stories and people. It is for this reason that we aim to complete this project through film above all other mediums.
The Route
Charleston, WV ➔ Roanoke, VA ➔ Asheville, NC ➔ Atlanta, GA ➔ Knoxville, TN
⬇ Watch Climbing Every Mountain Series ⬇
Episode #1 - Roanoke, VA
Jesse is a 42 year old Transman who started his transition over 20 years ago and had to be diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria in order to access HRT. Meet Dr. Rosenthal, the queer historian who has collected over 40 oral histories from LGBT seniors throughout the Roanoke Valley.
Episode #2 - Charleston, WV
Alex is a 29 year old Transman who delivers your mail by day and throws bullseyes by night. Have you heard of Queer Appalachia? Come and meet the team that makes Queer Appalachia possible, Chelsea and Mamone.
Episode #3 - Asheville, NC
Aurora Gantz is a non binary queer artist who is particularly dedicated to tea, nature, and growth. They love connecting to community and themselves through vulnerability, care, and intention.
Episode #4 - Atlanta, GA
Kris is a 29 year old Transman who loves to play guitar, has a infectious laugh and the cutest little dog Henley.
Episode #5 - Knoxville, TN
Jaime is a mature (we never tell a woman’s age) Transwoman who started her transition in the 1990’s. She is also a survivor of the Knoxville Church Shooting that took place in 2008.
Also seen is this series is:
Rev. Kimble Sorrells
Atlanta, GA
Dr. Eric Tran
Asheville, NC
Dr. Karen Hargrove
Atlanta, GA
Cortez Wright
Atlanta, GA
The Statistics
It is a known fact that transgender and gender non-conforming people face discrimination, especially in rural parts of the United States like Appalachia. Through our proposed documentary series, we hope to share the mental health stories of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in communities throughout Appalachia, breaking down the stigma around mental illness, trans identities, and advocating for more inclusive and affirming services in a part of the United States that is largely overlooked and under-served.
Climbing Every Mountain Filming Tour
November 12th - November 26th, 2019
THE TEAM
Jayce, Editor and Video Producer of CEM
“I mean, this project is can be sad at times and it can be heart-wrenching, but at the same point, it's also showing you we are resilient, and we have to be as trans people. We have to keep moving even when we feel like there's no other option because we have to be our own advocates. So I think this will show people like, you know what? They've been dealt a shit hand of cards, but they're still trying to play the game. They're still trying to keep moving, going forward and making the best out of their life.”
JH, Director of CEM
“Climbing Every Mountain is important to give voices to the trans and non-binary people in Appalachia. Also to show Appalachia's culture and the things that are being done there. I know when I first was planning this out, I had no idea that I was going to meet or be met with such a queer community in each of the areas.”
Mo Bell, tour assistant Producer and interviewer
Mo is from Kentucky. He is a writer, human advocate, and friend. “I love the the monsters in people and I don’t let them forget.”
Basil, Transilient Director & CEM Producer
Basil Soper was the founder of Transilient. His role with CEM was predominantly in helping to fund the project, marketing, story arch, and overseeing the pre and post production of the series. Basil helped curate the interviews and the general concept for the series.
“I grew up in the South and understand the unique challenges southern trans folks face. Appalachia, in particular, has such a strong and diverse history matched with one of abuse from other areas of the country. To be Appalachian is hard enough but to be trans or a person of color AND Appalachian is challenging.”
Mini Stories from Tour
When we got to Aurora’s home, we were greeted with Tea and a full history on the Tea we were about to drink, we sat there in awe as they explained all the unique details about this Tea and also all the different types there is available.
We grabbed a bite to eat with Kris at a local bar and grill in Atlanta. The weather was wonderful so we decided to sit outside and as we made it to our table, we saw a massive projector screen with the democratic debate on it.
We met Alex at once of his favorite places, EZ Street, where we played pool, darts and shared delicious appetizers.
Jesse and his wife made us a vegan meal while we listened to vinyl, talked and exchanged stories from our childhoods.
After Jaime’s interview, we all sat around and just talked about big things in our lives and she revealed to us she was actually featured in Jennifer Nettles - I Can Do Hard Things, a country music video about strong women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb67fKALxnw
Climbing Every Mountain Funding
PFLAG is Transilient’s community partner for Climbing Every Mountain. We couldn’t be more grateful for their help with funding and for what they do for the LGBTQ community. Learn more about PFLAG here: https://pflag.org/
In the time-frame of 60 days the team at Transilient ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the production of Climbing Every Mountain. Many organizations, artists, musicians, etc. donated items to help reach our goal. Stealth Bros Co, Transfigure Print Co, I Am We Creations, Chain Nicholas, Sharon Von Etten, Lockwood 51. We had 229 folks from all across the world contribute to this project! People want to see the conversation around mental health change. We even ended up going a little bit beyond our goal, which is amazing. During our Kickstarter campaign, we were also awarded the “Project We Love” badge. Which means there was a lot of excitement and enthusiasm about the docuseries itself on Kickstarter.
Screenings
Would you like to share Climbing Every Mountain on your college campus, during an organization meeting, for educational purposes, etc? We’re now taking requests for screenings and events to show the series. Whether that be gaining access to share the series digitally or having some of the CEM team members come out and give a presentation along with the screening. We’re open to requests depending on how you’d like to set up your screening event.
If you would like to schedule a screening of the Climbing Every Mountain Series please email us below.
Amid the COVID-19 virus, we will not be taking requests for spring/summer travel; however, we’re still accepting scheduling for any events or requests from August 2020 and onwards.
