by XYZ Projects CIC Archived here for the Desperate Livin project

From Kontekst Collective: 'Dr. XYZ; A Medical Drag Transthology' is a 16mm art-house healthcare information film combining ethnographic accounts from Birmingham’s trans+ community with verbatim drag-satire reenactments. The film, commissioned by the BFI’s NHS Untold Stories Initiative, educates GPs on effective gender-affirming care and is currently circulating within NHS England staff training networks.

From Vivid Projects: Brought to you by XYZ Projects (CIC), Dr XYZ is a satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s. The purpose of the project is to act as a training film for the current NHS England staff, equipping them to give trans and non-binary patients the level of gender-affirming care they need and deserve.

XYZ Projects is a newly established trans+ film collective based in Birmingham, concerned with community healthcare archiving and collaborative filmmaking. El Jones (they/them) independent filmmaker/community archive facilitator, and Dr. Raviv Piccus (he/they) NHS doctor/researcher are co-directors of the collective. Working alongside them is Producer: Yasmyn Nettle (they/them), Collective Care Lead: Reuben Liebeskind (they/he), BTS Photographer: TQ Archive (they/them) and on music they have Transistrrr (she/her) and Lai Fransisco (they/she).

The journey of Dr XYZ kicked off with a community call out, inviting trans and non-binary individuals to share first hand accounts of their experiences accessing gender-affirming healthcare in the UK. This progressed into a series of community script writing workshops prior to filming, shaping the narrative with input from the people who’s experiences the film will highlight.