We meet Lane, the visionary director behind T, a powerful and deeply personal film that’s turning heads at Dances With Films LA. A unique narrative that blends lived experience with bold cinematic storytelling, T is the first transmasculine feature shot during and inspired by the lead actor’s real-life journey on testosterone.
Written and directed by award-winning transmasculine filmmaker and playwright Lane Michael Stanley, and co-written with lead actor Mel Glickman, T offers a raw, nuanced portrayal of gender transition — exploring identity, connection, and transformation in a way rarely seen on screen.
Filmed across the span of Mel Glickman’s actual first year on hormone replacement therapy, T pulls back the curtain on the physical and emotional shifts that come with such a journey. Through Lane’s thoughtful lens and Mel’s powerful performance, the film navigates the complexities of friendship, family, and intimacy, offering a story as vulnerable as it is vital.
I sat down with Lane to talk about the making of T, the challenges behind the scenes, and what it means to create something truly groundbreaking.
Stephen:
Thanks so much. Perfect. Hi, Lane. How are you?
Lane:
Hi. I’m good. How are you doing?
Stephen:
I’m good. I just thought I’d start off by saying I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Really great film.
Ive got so many questions for you, and we have limited time, so I’m going to just get going. So, like, to start things off, like, how did T come to life? Like, where did the idea come from primarily?
Lane:
Yeah, so when I started T in 2019, I had this thought, right, of, like, oh, has anyone ever filmed, uh, like, made a movie the way that Richard Linklater made Boyhood but for gender transition? Like, that would be really cool, uh, if you could see it naturally progress. but I was not an actor. Didn’t know how you would find an actor in that moment.
You know? Kind of put the idea on a shelf. And then, Mel Glickman, our lead actor, who I had known for several years, from back in our days in Baltimore even though we had both since moved to LA, just texted me out of the blue one day and was like, hey. Have you ever thought about making a movie while somebody was starting T? And it turned out that they were considering going on T and had also kind of independently come up with this idea and pitched it to me.
And so we were both just kind of immediately excited and inspired about the possibilities. It seemed like the logistics could align, and we knew, you know, that we had a strong artistic collaboration that already existed. So it was was only six months from the initial conversation to our shoot.
Stephen:
That’s impressive. so from a directing perspective, how did you handle the situation, — with the script being so raw and it being such a raw subject for you? How much of it was staged? How much of it was improvised? Can you tell me a bit about that?
Lane:
I have a pretty tight script to screen, so that’s not to say that there’s no improvisation. Um, but I need to also — I think because, I started in theater before moving to film, and so I’m used to spending a lot of time with actors, uh, the writing process before the actual performances. And so we didn’t rehearse excessively, but we did have a couple of rehearsals before each shoot. And we would make a lot of adjustments to the script then, both in terms of, like, what was actually happening, in Mel’s real transition because this this kind of fascinating thing happened right where when I wrote the script, it was really kind of based on my year on T, the things that I felt and experienced that I expected Mel might feel and experience.
And then as we went through it, we kind of made the adjustments for what was specifically happening, in their body, less so in their life. You know, the the kind of the relationship arcs, really kind of stayed the same. And then and then we checked in with actors, and kind of polished the scenes going into each shoot.
Stephen:
I mean, that’s always nice to know. I mean, I’m from an acting background. I’m an actor, and I also a producer and founder of Distract, cofounder. And when I watched it, it felt so raw and so authentic.
So for me, it’s really hard to tell how much of that was, you know, coming from the script and how much of that was, you know, ad libbed or sort of improvised. It felt so natural, which is a credit to you and a credit to the lead, actually.
Lane:
We had a a group of just, like, really present subtle performers. And also, like, especially Mel and Sam, who plays Spencer, they are two of just the most consistent actors I’ve ever worked with. Like, you can cut on an eyebrow twitch for Mel because it’s gonna be the same spot of the scene in every single take. It’s remarkable.
T Film Still 5 Actor Mursi Haynes as Ana. Courtesy of Secretly Famous Productions
Stephen:
Yeah. I was very impressed. So was there ever a moment during the shoot where you have to take a step back and think, you know, um, okay, this movie is bigger than me? Or were there any, I guess, moments where you had to troubleshoot, or was it pretty plain sailing throughout?
Lane:
Definitely a lot of troubleshooting. We knew going into the process that we didn’t want to — you know, there’s so much sensationalism about gender transition and kind of, like, shocking before and after photos. And so even though we were trying to make a film that was about showing the journey and there would be some kind of physical before and after, we knew that we— we wanted things to be allowed to live in a little bit of a more ambiguous space, in a more subtle space. But at the same time, uh, Mel’s transition was moving very, very slowly.
And so we intended to shoot everything in a year, and the film covers a year but it was closer — I think it was a year and ten months. So it’s closer to two years.
Stephen: Okay.
Lane:
So there was a time where instead of two months in between shoots, we took eleven months, um, which was challenging also. I mean, we also had to fundraise. So happily, we got on our executive producer, Deb Fink, who made it possible for us to finish the film. We had to kind of re-rally our team.
And then what was challenging too, especially when you’re working with young artists, is that two years in the life of a young professional film person — people’s lives really change. So some of our cast left Los Angeles. Like, they’re living in New York, Mexico City, and Jairo’s living in The Netherlands. Um, happily, they moved to The Netherlands right after we wrapped the last shoot.
Like, yeah, people left Los Angeles or it was like, you know, when I signed on to this project, I had this kind of job that I could take away from for an indie film. And now I have this other type of job, and it’s not okay for me to take time off. You know what I mean? Like, uh, there was just kind of a lot of changes in life circumstance that affect that we had to figure out how to move through. Happily, people were still dedicated to the film.
It was just kind of like, okay. What are the changing realities that we have to work with? You know?
Stephen:
A lot of moving parts, I guess, it feels like.
Lane:
We also lost location. We were shooting in my apartment, and, my neighbors complained, so they got us — they got us, like, a very light threat of eviction. Not like a warm on our door, but, like, a very light — because Film LA would’ve them — because we had a permit. So, anyway, it was, like, half of it.
We had done this beautiful arc with the production design of, like, Em owning the space with Spencer and, like, painting and stuff like that.
Hopefully, you didn’t notice that we just never go back to Em’s apartment.
Stephen:
No. I never noticed. I was so engrossed by the movie. I completely, like, negated that. It wasn’t even until you mentioned it just now.
So that’s also good, I guess.
Lane:
So I’m glad that we got away with it, but I had to rewrite the back half of the script so that it all took place somewhere else, which sometimes needed to justify why Em was leaving their home. Yeah. So there were a lot of production challenges for sure.
Stephen:
Honestly, I didn’t! I was so engrossed in the film that I didn’t clock it at all.
Lane:
That’s a relief! We had to justify why Em was always leaving home or not going back. It was a challenge.
Stephen:
What kind of conversations do you hope T sparks around transmasculinity and identity? Have those conversations already begun?
Lane:
Yeah, absolutely. My hope is that T offers an intimate look at gender transition as a journey toward authenticity — something that anyone can relate to. Everyone’s trying to figure out who they are.
T Film Still 2 Actor Sam Kerner as Spencer. Courtesy of Secretly Famous Productions
We also wanted to avoid the trope of trans characters where every bit of tension revolves around being trans. That narrative creates this idea that all trans people are like, “This is my truth and I’ll do anything to live it,” which is valid — but not the only story.
For me, I didn’t know if I wanted to go on testosterone. My transmasc friends would say, “You won’t know unless you try,” which is… hard! That uncertainty and exploration is real and needs space too.
So we wanted to affirm a character who didn’t have it all figured out, who was confused and experimenting — and that being in that space is still beautiful and valid.
Stephen:
If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice before starting the project, what would it be?
Lane:
I’d probably tell myself: “It’s going to be okay. You will finish the film.”
There were so many times — especially with shutdowns, delays, losing locations — when it felt like maybe we’d put all this time and energy into something that wouldn’t come together. So just knowing we would finish it would’ve helped a lot.
Stephen:
What are some moments on or off set that really stuck with you?
Lane:
There were so many. One that stands out is when we brought in Mercy, who plays Anna. She came in during our second shoot — right after the “deciding to start T” arc. Her presence brought this completely new, fresh energy into the film.
That energy — that sense of a door opening — really mirrored the narrative shift for Em too, and it felt so good to experience that in real time.
Stephen:
What do you hope people walk away with after watching Tea?
Lane:
For cis audience members who might not know a trans person, I hope it helps them see us as people — just people trying to live our lives — and to question some of the fearmongering they hear in the media.
For trans viewers, I hope it offers softness and reassurance — that wherever you are in your journey is okay. Whether you’re shouting your truth or quietly exploring, it’s all valid.
Stephen:
Were there any films that inspired you to get into filmmaking?
Lane:
For T, I looked at Pariah by Dee Rees and Never Rarely Sometimes Always — both really beautiful, intimate films.
Growing up, I didn’t actually watch many movies. I thought most movies were bad — I was a pretentious kid! But then an ex-boyfriend introduced me to the Coen Brothers, and that opened the door to cinema for me. They’re not exactly comps for what I do, but they were my gateway.
Stephen:
What’s next for you? Any other socially conscious projects on the horizon?
Lane:
Yes! I’ve just finished a manuscript for a trans novel — I’m currently selecting an agent and preparing to enter the publication process.
I’m also working on a documentary called Quentin Blue. It’s about a band formed by men serving life sentences in San Quentin Prison. After three were paroled, they reformed the band in a sober house in Compton. We have a short version out, and we’re developing it into a feature.
Director Writer : @LaneMichaelStanley
Host/Producer: @stephenstallone
Director-Writer Lane Michael Stanley
Producers Lane Michael Stanley, Lowell Blank
Story by Mel Glickman, Lane Michael Stanley
Executive Producer Deb Fink
Co-Producer Mel Glickman
Co-Directors of Photography: John David De Virgiliis, Giselle Gonzalez
Co-Production Designers Zev Rose, Rebecca Marquardt
Costume Designer Laura Gonzalez
Editor Prakshi Malik
Soundtrack Artist Kevin Stanley
Composer Ed Vargas
DWF:LA Screening Info
https://danceswithfilms.com/t-the-movie
Film Info
