The woman working tirelessly to make Wagga’s very first Mardi Gras a reality is now set to star in an hour-long documentary about her journey.
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Holly Conroy was approached by Mint Pictures just before she began her gender affirmation surgeries last year, and that was where the film Trans Mission began.
Since then, Ms Conroy said the production company has been following her ongoing mission to bring the Mardi Gras to town and build a better understanding of the LGBTIQ community in Wagga.
“The reason I’m doing the documentary, and the reason I think these sorts of documentaries are amazing, is because there are so many people sitting in their homes who are miserable or confused or don’t know where to turn,” Ms Conroy said.
“I’m hoping documentaries like this will help show people who are in vulnerable positions that it’s possible for them to live a happy, normal, productive, social life.”
While Ms Conroy said being followed around by cameras was incredibly daunting at first, she felt like the film would help break down a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions in Wagga and far beyond.
“I’m a transgender woman – I have been my whole life, even though it took me so long to come out – but I can drive trucks, play sport, go to clubs, go to barbecues – I’m just a normal person,” she said.
There was some exciting news for Ms Conroy and the documentary filmmakers earlier this week when Screen Australia announced the film was selected to share in a $2.7 million pool of funding for 14 new documentary projects.
Mint Pictures’ Dan Goldberg said Trans Mission would shine a light on some incredibly important issues for LGTBIQ people in regional communities.
“The transgender issue, being in the bush, and the challenges for rural Australians in the transgender community pricked our ears and eyes,” Mr Goldberg said.
“Wagga is also a very interesting place because, according to the last census, it is Australia’s number one Christian town, so there’s obviously some challenges in that domain with Holly’s community.
“It makes it an interesting precinct in which to try and pull off a Mardi Gras.”
Mr Goldberg and the team will continue to follow Holly’s journey right up to the Mardi Gras on March 9.
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