Two Eyes

2020, 95 minutes, Dir: Travis Fine, USA.

This absolutely mesmerizing film is a cinematic triptych which follows three main characters in three distinct time periods: In late 19th-century Montana, an artist (Benjamin Rigby) seeking inspiration for his art, explores the landscape with his Native American guide (Kiowa Gordon) and finds his conceptions of himself and the world around him challenged. In 1979 Barstow, California, the mundane existence of a questioning youth (Uly Schlesinger) is given a shot of adrenaline by the arrival of a new exchange student (Jessica Allain) who envelopes them both with her lust for life. In present-day Wyoming, a trans teenager (Ryan Cassata) works through his self-destructive feelings with his perceptive, non-binary therapist (Kate Bornstein). Exploring themes of gender, love, grief, and the power of art to transcend time, the seemingly unrelated narratives are ultimately interwoven into a single powerful storyline that reveals the deep and eternal connection between all three characters.