CHICAGO — "Matrix" director Lana Wachowski will host a documentary screening and party to help transgender men and women in the city.
Attendees of the event, called TransReelization, will be able to watch the documentary with Wachowski at the Music Box Theatre and get food and drinks, with the proceeds going to the Chicago House and Social Service Agency's TransLife Center. The center helps trans people with housing, legal services, healthcare and employment.
Those who buy VIP tickets can also attend an afterparty with Wachowski, participate in a silent auction and tour Kinowerks, the private movie studio of the Wachowski siblings.
The Wachowskis are famously reclusive but have spoken out in support of trans people. Lilly Wachowski, Lana's sister, came out as a trans woman earlier this year, and Lana Wachowski is a trans woman.
The documentary that will be shown, called "FREE CeCe!", explores the story of CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman who killed a man in self-defense and was then incarcerated in a man's prison. McDonald became a nationally known figure.
"FREE CeCe!" gives viewers a chance to see what it's like to be a trans woman of color, a group of people who face disproportionately more violence while also being afforded fewer opportunities, according to the event organizers. The documentary was produced by Laverne Cox, an activist, actress and transgender woman of color who has cited McDonald as a source of inspiration in her work.
The event will be from 2-4 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.
General admission is $25. Attendees can also buy premium tickets for $50 to get early seating, free parking and a free popcorn and pop or beer. Tickets to the VIP afterparty are $500.
The tickets can be bought online.
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