Jay Rohr
Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity captures a perspective that’s hard to share. This documentary from Fia Perera provides an intimate look at gender identity while emphasizing the humanity behind its central topic. This isn’t an exploration of the concept of gender so much as it is how a person becomes more when allowed to express their identity.
Paul Whitehead is the focus of the documentary as is Trisha Van Cleef. It’s tempting to say that Paul and Trisha are the same person since they inhabit the same body. However, their personalities are different enough to notice their individuality. See, Paul is a transgender person whose female aspect is expressed as Trisha. And the documentary does an interesting job of showing the distinction between the two, while maintaining their oneness.
It might sound confusing on paper, but watching The Art of Fluidity makes it clear how these two are entwined variants. For one thing, throughout the film there are displays of art. The work by Paul is radically distinct from what Trisha composes. Yet, they both seek to display soulful expressions of inner being. Paul’s work has recurring themes of seekers searching out a world beneath the visible surface, while Trisha is more raw emotion in abstract displays of embraced chaos.
The main parts of the narrative are shared by Paul/Trisha. There’s an oral autobiographical quality to The Art of Fluidity that runs throughout. On one hand, this means next to no one else telling the story. However, this one-sided presentation benefits from Paul/Trisha’s years of personal exploration. These aren’t tales or insights told for the first time. These are experiences that have likely been examined in-depth over decades.
Fortunately, The Art of Fluidity never feels performative. It’s almost like having a quiet conversation with its central subject. And Paul/Trisha are, if nothing else, full of fabulous stories.
Paul Whitehead has had an interesting career. Born in Britain, he aspired to be an artist. Those ambitions would land him a role as art director for Time Out magazine as well as doing cover art for albums by Fats Domino, Nina Simone, and Jimmy McCracklin. Eventually he crafted covers for Genesis and Peter Gabriel. Since the seventies his surreal work, featuring wry humor, visual riddles and puns, has adorned albums and art galleries. Yet, it’s the way he talks about his career that’s fascinating.
When Paul is sharing his past, he never sounds like someone name dropping. There’s a humility to him that’s charming. Still, echoes of a certain haunting sadness can be heard at times. That’s because he was missing an element of his inner being.
This is when Trisha Van Cleef enters the tale. She’s a bit more gregarious. However, the outgoing lady is not without her own hesitations. Make no mistake, The Art of Fluidity contains some dark moments which Trisha shares in a manner that seems bold, but still sounds shook. Such instances give a grim insight into the dangers faced by transgender individuals every day.
However, Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity doesn’t linger on the dark. The documentary instead tries to focus on how finding Trisha completed Paul. Whatever complications that discovery has caused come from the outside world’s prejudices. In other words, transphobic people are the problem.
Hearing Paul/Trisha openly discuss such issues reminds us that real people are at the heart of these matters. It’s easy for concepts to become abstracted when they aren’t directly connected to our lives, and The Art of Fluidity makes the human element plain. The fact that Paul/Trisha are so charming and sweet makes it depressing to imagine them being unwelcome in the world.
Still, it should be noted that this documentary doesn’t unpack the whole concept of transgender identity. This is simply the story of one individual. The perspectives they express on the subject are Paul/Trisha’s alone. And even though neither speaks for the community, the documentary’s message is clear: being able to safely express one’s total identity is of paramount importance to any individual’s well-being.
Visually the film is broken up by a marvelous assortment of art. Sometimes these are the album covers Paul has done. Sometimes it’s the art Trisha did. Other occasions include gallery pieces. Each glimpse gives a better idea of the artist, especially as the documentary gets more personal. Often there are splendid animations enriching Paul/Trisha’s storytelling, not to mention a gritty reenactment segment. Each instance breaks up the monotony of one person talking to the camera which keeps Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity from getting visually dull.
The ability to explore one’s identity is often taken for granted by those who can do it safely without fear of reprisal. This documentary does a good job of reminding that the transgender community doesn’t have that freedom. Whether it’s Paul relating his first tentative steps towards Trisha, or her accounts of nervously walking the street, Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity is about finding a totality of being that paves the way to a happier life. Anyone trying to honestly understand transgender issues better would do well to give this a watch. Not so much because it comprehensively explores the notion, but because Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity emphasizes the human side of those involved.
Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity will be available July 9th on streaming services such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Youtube Movies, Vimeo, and local cable and satellite providers.
