Ren Ketzer

Time and place: Both Boys Don’t Cry and Druck introduce the audience to the characters with an establishing shot of the places they inhabit. Throughout both stories, the identities on screen are constructed through the representation of space. “Captives of our own identities”: Physical and emotional isolation and confinement is a central theme in both storylines, either driving characters together or apart. Let’s run away: Representations of the institution and examples of authority often represent the greater issues and hostility that trans people face daily. A sense of home: Brandon and David in their respective bedrooms, the contrast in their stories is clear from the lighting and framing alone. A sense of self: One of the clearest differences in characterisation is that David is portrayed as a teenage boy first and foremost with his own hobbies and interests. Brandon is portrayed as trans before all else. Endings: In the end David finds a home and a sense of acceptance, meanwhile Brandon’s search for a home and a family leads to his downfall. The final shot: These are two parallel stories, one of acceptance and one of violence. Sadly, so many trans people’s stories end like Brandon’s. It’s been over twenty years since the release of Boys Don’t Cry and nearly thirty years since the murder of Brandon Teena and yet trans people still face exponentially high rates of discrimination and violence. Education and good representation are not only needed but they are crucial for our very survival.


Images from: Bantry Bay Productions. “Druck: Matteo (Season 3)” ZDF. March 9-May 17 2019.
Peirce, Kimberly. “Boys Don’t Cry”. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 1999.
Parallels in Druck (2018-present) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999): Tales of hostility and acceptance 

The stories of David in Druck and Brandon in Boys Don’t Cry are two parallel tales of transmasculinity on screen.  

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