Martin Rawlings-Fein
Martin Rawlings-Fein is a second-year Jewish Studies graduate student at Hebrew College in Boston. He contributed to the anthology Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, from North Atlantic Books (Summer 2010).
Rawlings-Fein is a Jewish American filmmaker and producer of works such as Clocked: An Oral History, Who You Callin' Queer?, Perfect Fit, and Gillian. His most current works, Perfect Fit and Gillian, have been well received within the trans community and were official selections of Tranny Fest the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival.
As an out bisexual trans man, he is a queer community documentarian and filmmaker. He is also in the pre-production phases of Ger: Choosing to be Chosen a film about lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans converts to Judaism. When Martin is not writing, reading, filming or organizing in his various communities, he is blessed with the privilege of being a husband and father.
Clocked: An Oral History
The film Clocked: An Oral History is the story of transgender life through personal insights, stories and reflections on the meaning of community and being trans. Clocked grew out of a conversation with a friend about taking oral histories from transgender elders. Once filming started, the project quickly gained a life of its own.Eventually the film was shown at the Lou Sullivan Society, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, on AccesSF and in other local outlets.
"What a wonderful, moving story of their individual triumph of simply "becoming who they were" in an otherwise intolerant world."
- Randolfe Wicker, Filmmaker
Ger: Choosing to be Chosen
Ger (Hebrew for "stranger" or "proselyte") is the examination of those who are converts to Judaism and identify as LGBT or queer. The participants of this project come from across the boundaries of familial, socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds and traditional movements to give insight into the process of conversion. Ger takes a look into the lives of LGBT Jews by Choice to find the intersection between Jewish and queer identity.
Agency
Agency is a broadcast interview show that focuses on personal stories and reflections about enacting change through spiritual, political, literary or cultural agency. From the San Francisco Human Rights Commission's LGBT Advisory Committee to the personal journey of a local gay Jew by Choice, the options for cultural change and agency are endless. Watch Agency on AccesSF, cable channel 29, the third Sunday of the month at 8:30 PM.
Etz Chaim
Etz Chaim (or Tree of Life) was an interview show that focused on personal stories and reflections about Judaism, its intersections with queer community, and the organizations that serve both Jewish and queer communities. The show aired on the second and fourth Sunday of the month on AccesSF in 2009.
