Jacqueline Gares
″I always had a camera and was documenting my surroundings,″ says Jacqueline Gares. The filmmaker´s latest project is FREE CeCe, a film that focuses on CeCe McDonald, an African-American trans woman who was arrested for acting in self-defense and served time in a men´s prison. ″As the gay community continues to gain ground with marriage equality, we need to acknowledge the injustices faced every day by the trans community for just being themselves.″ It´s a struggle Gares can relate to. ″I remember being dragged out of the closet by my fierce Italian grandmother. It was rough but she taught me to be true to my word and my convictions…Thankfully, we were able to get back together as a family…I was 19 and my grandparents helped me go to college and graduate school, which changed my life.″ Following college, Gares worked on PBS´ POV and IN THE LIFE, and says, ″I became a storyteller because I witnessed the power of the personal voice. I was inspired to tell human stories and reveal commonalities so people could relate and open their minds.″ Hopefully, FREE CeCe will open minds-and hearts-when it is released. You can get updates on the film´s progress at freececedocumentary.net. -GH
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