The United States is, arguably, the most divided it’s been since the Civil War. Naturally, one can expect our features and documentaries to reflect our socio-political divide and its consequences. In his latest documentary premiering at TIFF on June 7, Chase Joynt takes an intimate approach to following Congresswoman Sara McBride’s historic run in 2024 with State of Firsts.
In a documentary whose subject includes conflicts at Capitol Hill, the film strategically takes an observational approach, focusing primarily on Sarah and her thoughts rather than excessive testimonials from family or colleagues. The result is a 90-minute journey with a person trying to navigate the large divide we all find ourselves in.
State of Firsts follows Delaware Representative McBride, the first out transgender person elected into Congress. The documentary follows her as a state representative campaigning for a seat in the House, the night of the 2024 election, and the House transgender bathroom ban implemented upon her arrival.
In an interview with The Rolling Tape, Joynt describes his choice to focus only on Sarah’s narration and testimonials. “We wanted to avoid the traditional ways documentaries follow a coming of age for a trans person,” he explained. Joynt says this technique followed more of a political coming-of-age story, exploring what it’s like to follow one perspective while a lot of noise is happening outside.
Impressively, State of Firsts shows a lot of restraint by refusing to allow tons of people to weigh in on the complex situations Sarah found herself in. Despite her being famously the first trans person in Congress, the film spends little time focusing on her gender identity or personal journey and more on her identity as an elected official fighting for her state.
During her campaign, we follow her door-to-door to talk to people, illustrating her earnest attempt to separate herself from the idea that she is only running and deserving of the position because she is trans. “I’m also a Delawarian,” she says. We see her at home, on the phone with family, or typing late at night with her nieces attentively watching the screen. Shots of coffee being made, LEGOs displayed, and billboards displaying campaign slogans. There is no narration telling us how Sarah feels, and, more importantly, how to feel about Sarah. We just listen to her and are allowed to gather our thoughts.
As we move into election night and Sarah’s first few days as an elected Congresswoman, Joynt carefully places specific media clips giving us just enough context into the conflicts that directly affected Sarah, especially the transgender bathroom ban in the House of Representatives introduced by South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace and upheld by Speaker Mike Johnson.
Up until this point, the film, as expected, is presented from a more left-leaning perspective. The camera has empathy and curiosity about Sarah, and there’s no interest in making her out as the “villain” or “freak” that many MAGA Republicans (and some Democrats) make the transgender community out to be. But the film surprised me when it addressed the backlash Sarah received from her supporters, those of us who consider ourselves on the left, on her side. We hear the complaints of Sarah agreeing to follow the bathroom ban, choosing to continue her work as an “elected official” and “not an activist,” a distinction Sarah makes clear.
It would have been very easy for a director, even with the best of intentions, to paint a black and white image of the right hating the left, specifically trans people, and attacking them on all levels, including on Capitol Hill. Joynt intelligently remains very objective, refusing to pick a side for audiences. We don’t see excessive clips from opinion shows bashing trans people or tweets complaining about “men in female sports.” We are given one person and the consequences they face because of one policy. The genius lies in our ability to relate to larger fields of play. It’s refreshing to see a piece of media that forces me to think rather than telling me how to think.
That being said, I fear that, despite the smart filmmaking, the only people willing to take this journey with Sarah will be those who already support her in some capacity.
In the same interview, Joynt later explained that this film is a response to the negative noise saturated in the media. State of Firsts is an attempt to “organize our focus” on one particular perspective. Coming away from this documentary, I didn’t necessarily walk away with my original thoughts or suspicions confirmed, but rather a deeper understanding of one specific situation currently happening in our country. More importantly, I come away with an understanding of Sarah McBrice, with Joynt respectfully giving us a glimpse into her work as a politician and not turning her into a spokesperson for the entire trans community.
I may be assuming that all right-leaning people will avoid this film, wrongly assuming they are all raging MAGA Republicans. Possibly, there are many people in the middle having trouble dissecting the noise and needing a helping hand. This film offers a hand from Congresswoman Sarah McBride, who offers just one perspective in a complicated slew of socio-political debates. And if more of us are willing to sit and listen rather than starting a fight, I think we will find we are making more progress than we realize.
Review Courtesy of Sara Ciplickas
Feature Image Credit to Melissa Langer – ‘State of Firsts’