Out now!
The debut feature film 'A Deal With The Universe' from transgender filmmaker Jason Barker, documents the true story of a pregnancy of a different kind. It is an unflinching and vibrantly vulnerable journey through footage collected on a video camera purchased in 2004. The aim; to make a short film of Jason and his partner Traceys road to pregnancy. However life had other ideas and what we are met with instead, is a film made entirely of personal archive footage and video diaries charting well over a decade. Alongside the long and winding road to conception, we face serious illness, loss and society's limited notion of gender often unconsciously imposed upon others. But at the heart of this real life narrative, is a story of great love and of that’s loves ability to give resilience in the most impossibly trying of times.
We start our journey in a caravan park, an extremely relatable getaway for most Brits, with Jason washing their little holiday home and flexing his muscles playfully. Immediately you are struck with the great humour, depth and buoyancy that runs through his veins (he’s a marvellous stand up comedian!). When we meet the couple, you cannot help but warm to them. They share such an easy manner between them and are clearly deeply fond of one another, in the most charming and effortless way that exudes from the screen. Jason talks very openly and honestly about his experiences. He started taking testosterone in the year 2000, as part of his transition from female to male. He naturally imaparts this, with all of the truth, nuance and subtlety of someone who is telling their story and not one that is being syphoned off second hand as perceived by an outside eye.
We discover early on, the hope is that Tracey will become pregnant, but she finds she is not able to via various methods. So it is decided that Jason will halt hormone therapy and donate his eggs. As well as this adding another layer to Jason’s already multi-layered search for a comfortable place for his gender identity, it didn’t work. What next? Well, there’s only one thing for it, Jason will have to carry the baby. The film follows the two of them, on this at times arduous and ultimately very relatable scenario of those hoping to have a baby of their own. Will it be a time of great gender dysphoria for Jason or will he take it in his stride? And maybe it’s ok to have no definite answers and clear cut rules of who can do what and how they must look whilst doing so? His round proud pregnant belly on the posters tells you how this ends, but you are hopeful and distraught with them every step of the way.
The only criticism of the film, is that the camera work being on a handy cam is at times a little unsteady due to not always being on a tripod, and as someone who suffers from motion sickness it was a little visually affronting. However, it got a little easier as time went on and it certainly lends an authenticity to the stunningly curated film and makes it feel even more tangible. The celebration of a range of diverse body types and the honesty which that nudity on screen conveys, is refreshing and genuinely inspiring as we are oftentimes only presented with a very limited palette of physiques to be regarded as beautiful. This hope filled and artfully crafted documentary is riven with authenticity and is at once hilarious and heartbreaking. It is a triumphant film, that neither sugarcoats life, nor sings it like a dirge. It is just so real and has a barefaced bravery that is seen in precious few.
We start our journey in a caravan park, an extremely relatable getaway for most Brits, with Jason washing their little holiday home and flexing his muscles playfully. Immediately you are struck with the great humour, depth and buoyancy that runs through his veins (he’s a marvellous stand up comedian!). When we meet the couple, you cannot help but warm to them. They share such an easy manner between them and are clearly deeply fond of one another, in the most charming and effortless way that exudes from the screen. Jason talks very openly and honestly about his experiences. He started taking testosterone in the year 2000, as part of his transition from female to male. He naturally imaparts this, with all of the truth, nuance and subtlety of someone who is telling their story and not one that is being syphoned off second hand as perceived by an outside eye.
We discover early on, the hope is that Tracey will become pregnant, but she finds she is not able to via various methods. So it is decided that Jason will halt hormone therapy and donate his eggs. As well as this adding another layer to Jason’s already multi-layered search for a comfortable place for his gender identity, it didn’t work. What next? Well, there’s only one thing for it, Jason will have to carry the baby. The film follows the two of them, on this at times arduous and ultimately very relatable scenario of those hoping to have a baby of their own. Will it be a time of great gender dysphoria for Jason or will he take it in his stride? And maybe it’s ok to have no definite answers and clear cut rules of who can do what and how they must look whilst doing so? His round proud pregnant belly on the posters tells you how this ends, but you are hopeful and distraught with them every step of the way.
The only criticism of the film, is that the camera work being on a handy cam is at times a little unsteady due to not always being on a tripod, and as someone who suffers from motion sickness it was a little visually affronting. However, it got a little easier as time went on and it certainly lends an authenticity to the stunningly curated film and makes it feel even more tangible. The celebration of a range of diverse body types and the honesty which that nudity on screen conveys, is refreshing and genuinely inspiring as we are oftentimes only presented with a very limited palette of physiques to be regarded as beautiful. This hope filled and artfully crafted documentary is riven with authenticity and is at once hilarious and heartbreaking. It is a triumphant film, that neither sugarcoats life, nor sings it like a dirge. It is just so real and has a barefaced bravery that is seen in precious few.
Review by Francesca Renèe Reid.
RSS Feed
