After premiering at the 2020 Outfest Fusion festival in Los Angeles, director Trevor Anderson‘s short documentary Jesse Jams is now available to watch on Vimeo and was recently chosen as a staff pick.
The film takes a brief look at the life of Jesse Jams, an Indigenous trans punk rocker and lead member of Jesse Jams and the Flams.
A young Indigenous trans musician and his rock band bring mumble punk to the Interstellar Rodeo. A rock‘n’roll survival story of a different stripe.
Jesse is a rock’n’roll survivor. He’s an Indigenous trans man who grew up in care and endured years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. He has a list of mental health diagnoses as long as your arm, but Jesse has developed his own way to cope with his day-to-day challenges: rock’n’roll.
The film follows Jesse for a week of his life, as he makes his way to recording sessions, rehearsals, sound checks, and finally a full set with his band at Edmonton’s summer music festival, Interstellar Rodeo. Jesse’s songs are the way into his story: there’s a whole life behind those lyrics.
This was so enlightening and inspiring, despite Jesse’s difficult past. It just flowed so smoothly.