In an interview with Them in 2023, film and television director, writer and producer Lilly Wachowski spoke about her commitment to mentorship as a means of resisting empire. “Empire and capitalism require there to be winners and losers. They require competition,” she explains. “Mentorship, and the connectivity it creates, disarms empire and capitalism by bringing us together as part of the same fabric.” This was not lip service. Wachowski is committed to mentoring up-and-coming trans filmmakers, and has just announced that she will serve as executive producer of the short film DOLLS by trans filmmaker, author and activist Geena Rocero.
DOLLS will be the directorial debut of Rocero, and the cast will be made up of trans women, including Rocero, Arewà Basit, Vas Eli Macy Rodman, and Yên Sen. The score will be composed by 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner Susie Ibarra.
The short film is about a private investigator who is tasked with solving the mystery of a missing girl. Her disappearance appears to be connected to a cult-like dating workshop for trans women and is described as a “trans-coded take” on The Stepford Wives.
“DOLLS is a fever dream reflecting on assimilation and the investigation of trans identity,” Wachowski tells Them. “So proud to be part of this beautiful, weird, striking debut.”
There is no official release date for DOLLS; however, it has been submitted to several fall film festivals.