Free Movie of the Week

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

In honor of Pride Month, PROVOKR is doing a spotlight on the Barbara Kopple documentary This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, which can be watched right here all week courtesy of Gigi.

This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous is a compelling documentary that tracks the story of Gigi Gorgeous, a Youtube vlogger who posted makeup tutorials to her account. Born Gregory Lazzarato, she started her Youtube channel under the name Gregory Gorgeous, and eventually came out to the world as a transgender woman.

What is most powerful about this film is how personal it is. The film takes a very specific focus on Gigi’s family life and her relationships with her father, mother and two brothers. Gigi always felt very close to, and accepted by her mother, Judy, and after losing her to cancer, Gigi realized that life was too short to not be who she really was and decided to start living her life as Gigi and not Gregory. In addition to her mother, Gigi’s two brothers, Corey and Adam, were also always very supportive.

The real familial conflict that Gigi faced was with her father, David. As Gigi describes him, he was always a bit of a conservative man and learning to accept her for who she is was difficult for him. This led to some fraught moments in their relationship, but through it all, he chose to be there for her, even if he did not want her to proceed with her transition. Eventually, through this process, he did come around, realizing that, “having Gigi happy, is way more important than me having old Greg.”

Gigi was gracious enough to let me ask her a few questions about her experience making the documentary.

Amanda Jane Stern: How was the process of making a documentary different from producing your Youtube videos?

Gigi Gorgeous: It was completely different because I have total control over what I shoot, edit and publish on YouTube. With the documentary, I had to give up total control, which was really nerve racking, but it turned out to be so rewarding in the end.

AJS: How did it feel the first time you watched the completed film?

GG: I actually made a promise to Barbara Kopple, the director, that I wouldn’t watch the film until it premiered at Sundance. It was very surreal watching it all back, especially with such a big audience that included my family. The footage was taken over the course of my life, so I had forgotten a lot of moments that were in it. So it was like watching someone else’s story instead of mine. It was like an out-of-body experience. I was completely blown away and so happy with how it turned out.

AJS: You mentioned that your Youtube videos were a sort of therapy for you, was making this documentary therapeutic in any way too?

GG: Absolutely. With my YouTube channel, whenever I was going through something, I would take out my camera and self-film. Whether it was about hormones or surgery, or family issues. I always took out my camera. At the time, I didn’t see it as therapy, but watching it all back, I realize now that it was. In making the documentary, I did a lot of things that I would not have done if it wasn’t for this process. For example, I went back and saw my childhood diving coach and I got to go back to my high school. It was a very therapeutic process.

AJS: What do you hope people take away from your story and from the documentary?

GG: Ultimately it is a story about unconditional love and overcoming your fears and achieving your dreams. I don’t want people to think that it is just a story for those in the transgender community. This is a story for everyone, and a story that I hope everyone can relate to.

AJS: Finally, how’s your runway walk?

GG: When I was asked to walk in the Red Dress Fashion Show (the fashion show that kicks of NYFW, which is in the documentary), I was extremely honored but very nervous. I did not have a fitting until the day before. I was shocked when they pulled out this metal, 60 pound dress. I was the only one in the show who was going to be wearing metal; everyone else was wearing cotton. But I have learned to be confident in anything that I wear. My runway walk is fierce. I have since walked in several other runway shows, which is always a dream come true.