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Trans documentarian Sam Feder's latest film "Increased Examination" offers a powerful dual perspective – both an personal profile of a key trans advocate and a pointed examination of media coverage about trans existence.

Legal Battle at the Highest Court

This feature traces ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio as he gears up for legal presentations in the important highest court case the Skirmetti case. This legal battle happened in late 2024, with the court eventually deciding in support of the state's case, effectively allowing bans on healthcare for transgender youth to remain in effect across multiple US states.

We created Heightened Scrutiny in only 16 months, explained Feder during a discussion. Meanwhile, my previous film Disclosure took me half a decade, so this was quite rushed. Our purpose was to raise discussion so people would know more about the case.

Personal Narrative Amid Legal Struggle

Although Feder offers a thorough analysis of how prominent news organizations have promoted transphobic talking points, the film's most valuable achievement may be its engaging portrayal of Strangio. Normally a measured attorney in media appearances, Strangio shows his vulnerability throughout the documentary.

That was a substantial challenge, to share parts of my life to a camera lens that I had made efforts to keep private, explained Strangio. Feder told me he wanted future generations to know that we fought, to see what was done in service of these struggles for our basic existence.

Varied Voices in the Movement

To strengthen Strangio's narrative, Feder includes multiple transgender activists, including prominent individuals from activism and entertainment. This film also includes insights from cisgender allies who critique how established organizations have participated to harmful coverage of trans individuals.

The perspective of trans young people central to the legal case is represented through a impressive young girl named Mila. Viewers first see her fighting for her peers at a educational meeting, with later scenes showing her demonstrating for transgender rights outside the Supreme Court.

Intimate Moments Beyond the Courtroom

Heightened Scrutiny also includes touching moments where Feder steps outside the ongoing legal struggle, including sequences of Strangio vacationing in Italy and getting a body art featuring words from civil rights leader Pauli Murray's poem "Vision."

This ink moment is among my preferred parts in the movie, explained Strangio. Being tattooed is almost like a reflective experience for me, to be fully present in my body and to think of it as a vessel for things that are meaningful to me.

Body Autonomy and Representation

Feder's focus to lovingly showing Strangio getting to his body art underscores that this documentary is fundamentally about transgender bodies – not only those of young people who face prohibition of their ability to live genuinely in their own bodies, but also the physical forms of the numerous subjects who participate in the film.

I make films with a meaning, and part of that is picking people who are brilliant and concise enough to sustain the camera, explained Feder. When people ask me what they should wear for an interview, my reply is anything that makes you feel attractive. This is crucial to me – as trans people, we face challenges so much with our self-perception.

Legacy and Optimism

One element that makes Feder's works excel is his evident talent for making his trans subjects feel at ease, acknowledged and admired. This methodology fosters real rapport between Feder and Strangio, helping the director to realize his objective of showing Strangio as a complete human being and leaving a testament for future generations of how determinedly he and fellow activists have fought for transgender rights.

I hope not people to find themselves in a place of incessant discouragement because of what the law is denying us, explained Strangio. I strive to be in a method of using the law to minimize harm, but not to transform it into some sort of channel for our liberatory potential. The government is not going to be the reflection through which we see ourselves. Our community are that mirror, and it's really important that we persist having that conversation in addition to conversations about fighting back these laws and approaches.

This important documentary is currently available for streaming during Trans Awareness Week and will receive a broader distribution at a later date.