D. Smith’s cinematic documentary about Black trans sex workers, 'Kokomo City,' incorporates recreations, illustrations and even dance sequences.
“Losing her made this so much more real and urgent than it was before. It just proves why we had to do the film,” Smith told NBC News of the tragedy, which occurred just a few months after the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I’d been homeless for years, because I was ousted from the music industry for coming out. At the tail end of that, it was very difficult in New York for me,” Smith said. “My plan was to just film everyone in New York, because I didn’t have the means to travel. But I had to leave.” “Even though they’re sharing the same experiences, they’re in a different place, and they’re still dealing with the same type of men,” Smith said of the film’s four compelling stars.“Kokomo City” represents a kind of artistic reinvention for Smith, whose need for a creative outlet becomes apparent within a few moments of speaking to her.
With Luc Allieres’ “Tango Bolero” playing in the background, the documentary opens with Mitchell relaying a story about an altercation with a client who had a “big a– pistol,” which ultimately ended in a detente. And in between shots of the Georgia native laying on the bed next to a giant teddy bear, the documentary cuts to an abstract reenactment of the scene and occasionally shows an illustrated, spinning gun in split screen — announcing Smith’s irreverent, eclectic style from the onset.
“Before I filmed them, I explained what I wanted to do creatively and what that process looked like, and they trusted me more than they would anyone else — but that doesn’t mean that they trusted me completely,” Smith said.
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