In October 2016, POV asked From This Day Forward filmmaker Sharon Shattuck what's happened since the camera stopped rolling.
What has happened in Trisha's and your family's life since the end of the film?
Since the film ended in 2014, Trisha has begun riding horses. My mom is now mostly retired from her work as a Pathologist and is starting on her second career -- getting certified as an Iyengar yoga teacher and a nutritional counselor. Having the film out in the world, and doing screening Q&As and discussing the topics has been really good for my family. My parents are now much more open about who they are, and they regularly walk around town holding hands, which is a big step forward for both of them -- each for their own reasons.
How is the film being received in your hometown?
In summer 2016, we did a screening of the film in my hometown in Northern Michigan. It sold out, so they organized a second screening, which I was able to attend in person. It was unbelievable to see so many familiar faces in the room, people from my past: my friend's dad, my former boss, people whose faces I knew but whose names I had forgotten. They all had so many questions. It was like we spent my entire childhood bottled up, no one acknowledging the elephant in the room, that we were a transgender family, and once people in my hometown knew that it was okay to ask us about it, they couldn't stop! In the room at the Q&As, I just felt an overwhelming sense of support, of love from the community, and that was very encouraging. There are still many people who disagree with Trisha's "lifestyle," as they call it, but I think that more and more, people are welcoming my parents and are learning what it means to be supportive of LGBTQ people.
In what ways have you seen or do you hope to see From This Day Forward add to conversations about trans representation and visibility in the media?
I hope that the film adds to the multilayered, complex portrait of transgender people today. We shouldn't be THE transgender film, or the only story out there, but part of a multitude of stories. And I'm so proud that the film will be on POV -- it's the absolute best home for it, with the series' focus on thoughtful nuance--and my parents are extra excited, because PBS is pretty much the only TV channel they watch.
What are you working on next?
Right now I'm a Story Producer on National Geographic Explorer, a TV show, and I'm also working on a new film about screens and education technology companies. I'm also continuing my work with the New York Times Op Docs and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (I have an Emmy-nominated series with them called Animated Life, and am working to develop something else). Stay tuned.