No Ordinary Man
Director: Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt Run Time: 80 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2020
Starring: Billy Tipton, C. Riley Norton, Kate Bornstein, Susan Stryker, Zackary Drucker
Please Note: All in-person screenings at the Brattle require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test as of 10/1/2021.
American jazz musician Billy Tipton developed a reputable touring and recording career in the mid-twentieth century, along with his band The Billy Tipton Trio. After his death in the late 80s, it was revealed that Tipton was assigned female at birth, and his life was swiftly reframed as the story of an ambitious woman passing as a man in pursuit of a music career. The genre-defying documentary NO ORDINARY MAN seeks to correct that misrepresentation by collaborating with trans artists. As they collectively celebrate Tipton’s story as a musician living his life according to his own terms, they paint a portrait of a trans culture icon.
NO ORDINARY MAN features leading voices and breakout stars in the trans community, including Marquise Vilsón, Scott Turner Schofield, Susan Stryker, C. Riley Snorton, and Thomas Page McBee, among others.
“This is a compelling, often profound film, one that creatively surmounts its inherent limitations and shines a vital and heartfelt light on being transgender.” – Los Angeles Times
“A fascinating deconstruction of history, culture, and identity, No Ordinary Man raises so many crucial questions – and answers them so thoughtfully – that it moves beyond entertainment into the realm of essential text.” – The Wrap
“A fascinating and exhilarating film… Deeply compassionate and intellectually heady.” – Hollywood Reporter