D. Smith’s Kokomo City might be the most original film in this year’s QFest, and it’s certainly among the most interesting. It’s one of just two documentary features in the 2023 lineup and is about as far as it can be from the traditional “voice of God” type of doc that put you to sleep in high school. Shot in black and white, Kokomo City is organized around interviews with four black trans women—Liyah, Daniella, Dominique, and Koko Da Doll—which are interpreted with re-enactments, animations and other visual materials. Smith also includes interviews with men who are attracted to trans women (sex work for survival or otherwise is a common theme in many of the stories told here).
Smith was a successful music producer in the 2000s, working with the likes of André 3000, Katy Perry, CeeLo Green, and Lil’ Wayne and winning two Grammy nominations in the process. Then she transitioned, and suddenly the calls stopped coming despite industry declarations of support for the trans community. That experience may have helped her win the trust of the women interviewed in this film, because they speak with a remarkable degree of honesty and openness. Life may not have been easy for these women, but it certainly has not been dull, and they all know how to spin a story, by which I mean they know how to share their experiences in a way that keeps the listener interested. They’re frank, they’re funny, and they don’t hold back, from discussing straight-identified men who want to have sex with them to their relationship with the black community to how trans people have been portrayed in mainstream media.
Each of the four primary interview subjects comes off as an individual, but because of the way Smith cuts their stories together and combines them with other materials this film often feels more like a collage or mood piece than a simple collection of interviews. Smith uses a variety of cinematic techniques to “make strange” the images, further emphasizing the created nature of this film. Yes, these are real people telling us about their real lives, but you’re experiencing their testimony as part of a creative work that has its own rules and which is constantly shaping how you experience their stories.
Music is an integral part of Kokomo City, whose soundtrack includes a variety of music, from atmospheric background to featured songs. Above all, there’s the song “Sissy Man Blues” by singer Kokomo Smith, which inspired the title with these lyrics: “I woke up this morning with my pork grinding business in my hand/ Lord if you can’t send me no woman please send me some sissy man.”
Historical footnote: it’s no secret that black trans women are disproportionately victims of violence, so it’s sad but not entirely unexpected to learn that Koko Da Doll was shot and killed in Atlanta in April of this year. Her death is a harsh reminder that although some things may be getting better for trans people (but not in Missouri!), many still face a level of risk unimaginable to many of the rest of us. | Sarah Boslaugh
Kokomo City will screen at the Hi-Pointe Theatre on May 6 at 6:15 pm as part of QFest St. Louis 2023. Single film tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for Cinema St. Louis members and students with valid current photo IDs. Further information is available from the festival web site.
