SXSW London 2025: Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf
Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf follows the model and activist on a three-year journey, during which she witnesses, in real-time, the worsening situation for the trans community while writing her memoir. With a mission to let people know that there is more than one way to be human, and that being transgender is just one of those ways, she opens up in front of the camera and shares her unrelenting battle for acceptance. The documentary includes reenactments of Bergdorf’s childhood, and retreads her experiences falling in love, attending her first Trans Pride, and the constant scrutiny she faces in her active fight for representation and equality. It’s a profound and vulnerable journey full of both tough times and inspiration.
Bergdorf is a star, and her eloquent storytelling is a strong point of the feature. There are many poignant and triggering quotes throughout the piece that viscerally accentuate her fears, the deterioration of her mental health, and her constant effort to uplift and fight for her cause. All of that is wrapped in the beauty of the bonds she has formed over the years – her “chosen family”, as she calls it. The exploration of these connections, and going through it all surrounded by people who love and support her, is one of the most resonant parts of the film. Her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Ava, in particular, is a bittersweet segment in Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, the depth of which is perfectly captured by Bergdorf’s words.
Another highlight is the flashbacks to her youth. These scenes, filtered in pastel colours, high exposure and low saturation, give the effect of a distant memory, and serve a variety of objectives. Firstly, they provide a metaphorical lens for the viewers, one that presents to them the physical demons Bergdorf faces throughout her life. This is further emphasised by the constant presence of mirrors in these particular sequences, apropos of her once inability to look at her reflection, especially in dealing with her dysphoria.
They are also a jarring reminder that these are not isolated events faced by an adult Bergdorf. Once an innocent child who only wanted to fit in, the trauma she endured becomes more pronounced when seen through the eyes of this child. This constant replay into her regressed state is an overbearing marker for the audience that the danger of anti-trans sentiment affects children as well. Finally, as Bergdorf flips the thought of wanting to fit in, and finally realises in the closing of the film that she’s happy as herself, there’s something cathartic in allowing this fictionalised version of a “baby Munroe” to experience the joy she has now found for herself.
In terms of structure, the documentary presents itself in chronological order, but with an unsteady through line and no clear transition between the different topics discussed. While the feature continuously asserts the grander story of Bergdorf championing trans rights and representation, the jumping between points of discussion can be distracting. Tightening its framing would have worked better for the storytelling. This, however, does not dilute the importance of the feature’s message. Bergdorf’s heart remains the same throughout.
A tale of constant ups and downs, of hopelessness and finding sparks of conviction, Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf embodies the juxtaposition of the title and the slogan for Trans Pride: “Love and Rage”. It’s all about the love in support and community; the rage in inequality. It unflinchingly presents the truth and challenges people to understand and rise above the hate.
Mae Trumata
Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf is released in select cinemas on 10th June 2025.
Watch the trailer for Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf here:
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