A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance.

Interview with Writer/Director Lisa Rideout

Watch One Leg In, One Leg Out here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Iman, the main character in our film, is such a strong, vibrant woman despite some of her circumstances, and we wanted to challenge people's perceptions of who transgender sex workers are.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

It's a dynamic glimpse into the life of a sex worker who is trying to become a social worker, and the tensions/synergies between these two career paths. Also you should watch it because Iman is fierce, funny and fashionable.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Iman's experiences speak to larger social issues such as discrimination against transgender women, employment options for transgender women and safety for sex workers.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Documentaries inevitably change as you shoot. We did not know if Iman would actually pursue social work by the end of the film. We ended the film in an honest place. We are now developing a feature to tackle the next phase of Iman's journey going back to school.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been amazing, audiences have really connected with Iman. Most importantly, people from Iman's community have championed the film, congratulating her on being brave enough to share her story.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Not really haha, a POV documentary like this one is contingent on how engaging the characters are and Iman is that. I'm glad that people connected with her, in the way I hoped they would. We received a lot of positive feedback on the music, all of it was done by a local Toronto artist Dijah SB.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We are looking for festival screening opportunities, if you like the trailer get in touch.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Film festival directors, journalists.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'd like viewers to understand the complex place Iman is in wanting to leave sex work but needing to survive. I'd hope the business owners who watch this film think about their hiring practices and that organizations that employ social workers push to have people from the communities in outreach positions.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Is society more accepting of transgender women? What career options do they have?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

As mentioned I'm working on the feature version of this film which is titled Night Taught Her. My One Leg In, One Leg Out producer Lauren Grant is also producing that. She's a super star and has many projects on the go, which you can check out: http://clique-pictures.com.

More of my work can be viewed here: http://www.lisakrideout.com.

Interview: January 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

One Leg In, One Leg Out

A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance.

Length: 15 mins

Director: Lisa Rideout

Producer: Lauren Grant

Writer: Lisa Rideout

Facebook: Lifted Eyes Media

Instagram: @rideoutl, @liftedeyesmedia, @cliquepictures

Funders: CBC Short Docs

Made in association with: Clique Pictures, Lifted Eyes Media