Salacia

Tourmaline is an experimental portraitist whose subject is Black trans women. This impressionistic piece concerns Mary Jones, who worked at a New York brothel in the early nineteenth century and was described as a “man-monster” in a tabloid-style lithograph that was published after her arrest, in 1836, for robbery.

Directed by Tourmaline, Salacia leans on a strong ensemble — Rowin Amone, Christopher James Murray, Eva Reign — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 2019.