Seek Bromance

Samira Elagoz dedicated years to filming and researching cis men while still identifying as a female artist. His previous works explored cis-men and masculinity in its various forms from an external viewpoint, yet his latest work Seek Bromance (2021) alters the outlook as Elagoz captured his own transition. Seek Bromance is a trans romance located at the end of the world between insta-reality and sci-fi dystopia. It showcases a relationship between two transmasculines who encountered each other during the start of the pandemic and who both have a history of performing extremely feminine characters with divergent opinions as to what masculinity can be. The images that Samira Elagoz and his collaborator, Brazilian artist Cade Moga, record of their relationship, from their initial meeting to their final breakup, also document Elagoz's lengthy farewell to his femme identity. A sorrowfully beautiful, deserted world, as if a virus had eradicated everything, and they could only be contaminated by each other. With just a car, some cash, and a supply of testosterone they uncover the intertwined dynamics of masculinity and femininity.

“I set out to edit a work that I needed to see while struggling with my gender. A trans work where it’s not about educating cis people, or justifying our existence or being shiny positive examples, but a real story, where the trans protagonists are complex and troubled, progressive and admirable, problematic and relatable. Where they are rebels, lovers and creators.” - Samira Elagoz