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The Second Life of Jamie P

What happens when a 63 year old man, "like a bolt of lightning," realizes she's a woman? Her world crumbles, her family falls apart, but she has no choice but to push on in the identity she finally feels is truly her. Jamie Peebles is the subject of this feature documentary, made by her friend of over 40 years, Roger Sherman – two Oscar nominations, Emmy, Peabody, James Beard. He follows her transition in real time for a year. It's raw, revelatory, and funny.

  • Roger Sherman
    Director
    In Search of Israeli Cuisine, The Restaurateur, Alexander Calder, Medal of Honor, Don't Divorce the Children, Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds, Rhythm of My Soul, Beyond Black & White...
  • Roger Sherman
    Writer
    see above (most films)
  • Roger Sherman
    Producer
    see above
  • Jamie Peebles
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    LGBT, human rights
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 29 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 12, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digitial
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • no screenings
Distribution Information
  • no distributor
Director Biography - Roger Sherman

Roger Sherman is a producer, director, cinematographer, still photographer, and author. His films have won two Academy Award nominations, an Emmy, a Peabody, and a James Beard Award.

His most recent film, In Search of Israeli Cuisine, is a portrait of the Israeli people told through food, conflict and all. It's been shown in some 160 film festivals and special screenings around the world and in theaters across the U.S. Michael Floreak, writing in The Boston Globe said, "I was surprised to find myself choked up before the opening credits."

Dorothy Rabinowitz declared in The Wall Street Journal that Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds, an American Masters PBS special is, "An extraordinary film biography, perhaps the best ever produced in the American Masters series."

About Alexander Calder, another American Masters special, Charlie Rose said it is “An extraordinary American masterpiece.”

Dorothy Rabinowitz wrote high praise for The Medal of Honor in The Wall Street Journal: "That rare thing – a film shot through with the most emotional of themes that succeeds in rendering portraits of unimaginable heroism with discipline and dignity."

The Restaurateur follows Danny Meyer's creation of two world-class restaurants. Kat Kinsman, wrote in CNN’s Eatocracy.com, "Beg, borrow as needed, but do yourself a favor and see [it]. I can't think of a single food freak who wouldn't love it: charming,
compelling and Tom Colicchio with hair!"

Other social issues films include Don't Divorce the Children, which became mandatory viewing in family courts in a dozen states. Beyond Black & White, the African-American perspective of the criminal justice system.

Roger's written three how to shoot film/video books. His most recent, Ready, Steady, Shoot: A Pro's Guide to Smartphone Video, was written to help teens, families, pro-hopefuls, shoot better videos.

An exhibit of large scale photographs, As We Are – Disability: Portraits of a Community, focuses on members of the disability community of City University of New York. It is currently on display at the Baruch College library in New York.


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Director Statement

As soon as Jamie told me she was transitioning, I knew The Second Life of Jamie P was a film I had to make. It is the most important film of my career, so important I completely self-funded it. Jamie Peebles and I were classmates at Hampshire College; we've been friends for over forty years.

Transgender has reached America’s consciousness. The world is learning that this community is terribly discriminated against: lack of understanding and misinformation have led to violence and prejudice. Transgender people have been forced to hide in the shadows for generations. While life has improved for some, many suffer greatly, living in a hostile world that does not allow them to be themselves. As I dug into the film and told people about it, I realized that most have never met a transgender person, let alone have a close trans friend. My friends had so many questions that when we get together, I put a time limit on the conversation.

I did not set out to make an educational film. The Second Life of Jamie P could not be shown on PBS, where most of my films have been broadcast. There are scenes that will difficult for cisgenders to watch, and rightly so. But it will be revelatory for them because Jamie has a generous soul and was not afraid to share her most personal feelings. She’s also incredibly smart, insightful and articulate. A television engineer, she built the original studios of Oxygen Media, Al Gore’s Current TV, and RLTV. She’s also been a professional photographer, a filmmaker, a college professor, she built houses, and sold real estate – she’s truly a super tech!

Jamie and I talked through the summer of 2016, mostly about what she was going through. Being there for her was more important than making the film. By August she realized a documentary about her transition might help the world in a small way. That’s why we became documentary filmmakers. Shooting began in September, filming lasted a year, ending with her daughter’s wedding. There was no time to fundraise or we would have lost the raw emotion of Jamie’s rollercoaster transition, which audiences accompany her on.

I captured all of the major events during that year: accompanying Jamie to her breast augmentation surgery, being in the operating room for her confirmation surgery, filming a plastic surgery consultation, plus hanging out with her family, making dinner, fixing the boiler.... But I’m in New York and Jamie’s up near Boston. So, I asked her to mount a GoPro in her car and record video diaries when anything good, bad, or ugly happened. We spoke often and, for example, when she told me how she was misgendered by the breast augmentation team, I urged to tell her audience how she felt. Sometimes I interviewed Jamie via Skype, while she recorded in HD. We ended up with 220 hours of footage.

I have always had ample budgets and have been able to hire great teams, including the best editors in the business. Not on The Second Life of Jamie P. I fulfilled every role, including editor and assistant editor.

Transgender portraits are certainly the subject de jour. However, The Second Life of Jamie P differs from most currently in release. Viewers accompany Jamie on her tumultuous journey; she’s not looking back with the benefit of hindsight, which removes some of the emotional impact from many films. And, no film, as far as I know features a senior transgender person, certainly not one who had suppressed all knowledge of her misgendering for most of her life.

Following Jamie in real time, as she transitions, reveals truths about universal transgender issues. This is a film about humanity.