Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink) 1997: Trans Cinema Ahead of Its Time ft. Polly Schattel

What does it mean to know exactly who you are when the whole world is handing you a beige palette and wondering why you won't use it? This week, Beth and Michelle are joined by award-winning filmmaker and author Polly Schattel, whose new trans-centered novel Crater Girl is out now, to discuss the 1997 French-Belgian film Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink), directed by Alain Berliner. Seven-year-old Ludovic is completely certain she is a girl. Her suburban neighborhood is completely certain she is not. What follows is one of the most quietly devastating portraits of belonging ever put to film — and a movie that was decades ahead of its time in how it treats gender identity, community, and the cost of simply existing as yourself. We talk about what it means to never waver, the mask no one should be forced to wear, the difference between conditional support and real acceptance, and why this 1997 film feels more urgent now than ever. Plus: the Castellini test, the inclusivity index, and the Tremors Index. Grab your coziest quilt and climb into the fort. This one hits different. Learn more about Polly Schattel and her books, including Crater Girl, at pollyschattel.com.