A Cheryl Dunye Film

In near-future Oakland, Black--a broke Black trans man--is drawn into the orbit of a reclusive Blue, an ex-tech mogul, and Lison, the humanoid she built in her own image. But when desire and betrayal start to take hold, Lison rises from their fragments to become something new, uncanny, and alive.

BLACK IS BLUE is a story born from both the realities of trans-of-color life in America and the legacy of my award-winning 2014 short film of the same name. This feature expands that foundation to explore themes of power, control, identity, and reinvention through a speculative, genre-blending lens. It centers Oakland and its communities around conversations of loss, technology, and resistance.

At the center is Laverne Cox, playing both Blue—a reclusive, wounded genius—and Lison, her AI creation. Their performances unfold like a mirror loop: creator and creation, mother and daughter, star and shadow. Their duality explores grief, legacy, and the brutal fantasy of self-perfection.