SALEM — Salem Film Fest’s opening night film this year, “Heightened Scrutiny,” follows ACLU lawyer and Newton native Chase Strangio as he battles against anti-trans legislation and examines the role of media in transgender rights.
Directed by Peabody Award-nominated documentarian and writer Sam Feder, the film centers around the historic Supreme Court case, United States v. Skrmetti that will determine if Tennessee’s 2023 ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
The case is currently still pending, with a decision expected in June.
At the same time, Strangio, the first openly transgender person to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, also explores the role that media bias plays in shaping the fight for transgender rights. The film features interviews from activists, legal experts, trans children and their parents, veteran journalists such as Gina Chua, and celebrities like Elliot Page, Laverne Cox and Peppermint.
{span}The Salem Film Fest, which started in 2007, is the largest independent documentary film festival in Massachusetts. It operates at venues such as the Peabody Essex Museum, Cinema Salem, and the National Park Service Visitor Center.
Feder’s previous film, “Disclosure,” explored the history of transgender depictions in film and television, examining the connections between trans representations on screen, society’s beliefs, and trans people’s everyday reality.
Co-presented with Panorama Film Festival, the film screens at Cinema Salem on Thursday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Go to salemfilmfest.com for more details on the festival.
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202