The Brandon Teena Story

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Brandon Teena was a handsome boy who had tremendous success with women because he always seemed to know exactly what they wanted. Perhaps it helped that Brandon Teena was born Teena Brandon, a young woman who desperately wanted to be a man. But Brandon lived in a small Midwestern town, where his sexual identity crisis wasn't tolerated, inciting two so-called friends to brutally murder him and two other innocents. This true story, which was the basis for the feature film Boys Don't Cry, is recounted in the award-winning (Best Documentary at both the Vancouver and Berlin film festivals) documentary The Brandon Teena Story.

This insightful film is both fascinating and horrifying, as we are treated to news footage and interviews with Brandon's family, friends, former girlfriends, as well as the two men who are in jail (one on death row) for the rape and later murder of Brandon. Throughout the film, the viewer's disgust grows as recordings of Brandon with the police department of Falls City, Nebraska, are played; when Brandon reports his rape, the questioning is turned around on him, making him the guilty party for his sexuality. Ignorance and hatred abound in the small town, although many of his ex-girlfriends are surprisingly sympathetic. While there is nothing graphic in this film, it is unexpectedly difficult to watch at moments; the drama, however, is gripping and the message an important one to hear. --Jenny Brown

Description

To his girlfriends, he was the perfect boyfriend. To his killers, he was a gender-bending freak. To the law, he got what he deserved. Ultimately, Brandon Teena is an American tragedy.

Winner of best documentary awards at the Berlin and Vancouver film

Customer Reviews:

Chilling, Real-Life Account of a Senseless Crime.......2006-01-23

I would highly recommend you watch "Boys Don't Cry" and read Aphrodite Jones' "All She Wanted" before viewing this DVD, because this DVD will have a much greater impact. I was totally blown away watching this film, because I was already familiar with the characters involved in Teena Brandon's life and murder. To see and hear them was quite chilling, especially the interviews from the two killers. It is also sad, because most of the main players interviewed are nothing but unwashed, ignorant, white trailer trash. The women were especially pathetic: most were high school dropouts, teenage mothers with two or more kids, on welfare or in low-paying dead-end jobs.

The documentary traces Teena Brandon's life, from birth to her horrendous death. The filmmakers did a superb job of setting the stage with visuals and music, giving viewers an idea of the type of place Falls City, Nebraska was: an all-white town composed of blue-collar and uneducated rednecks and hicks. Their idea of entertainment was demolition derbys and tractor pulls, or getting high and/or drunk. For a transgendered person like Teena, Falls City was the wrong place to settle down. To compound matters, Teena fell into the wrong crowd of people as well, a decision that would ultimately prove tragic.

In addition to interviewing the main players, the filmmakers interviewed the parents, relatives, prison inmates and former girlfriends, who provided valuable insights into Teena's life and her killers. You knew from the start that Teena's story was not going to end happily; her history of petty crimes followed her from Lincoln to Falls City, and set off a series of events that led to her demise. Transgendered activists were interviewed, as well as other law enforcement people who were horrified by the senseless killings by the two low-life punks.

I recommend this DVD to all, especially those interested in true crime, the Teena Brandon case or in transgender studies.

a complete account .......2005-10-21

boys don't cry is a beautiful and amazing film, don't get me wrong, but it isn't completely truthful, nor is it meant to be. this film gives a complete account of the brandon teena story in an honest, and considerate way while avoiding the trappings of over-sensationalizing like so many other documentations of this story have. more interested in informing than shocking, this film interviews important people in brandon's life thereby giving a complete account of his time in rural nebraska that led up to his eventual rape and death. i respect this film and appreciate the homage it pays to a young man who never meant to be an activist but has in death become one.

TIME TO UNDERSTAND .......2005-07-30

The firts time I came across Boys Don't Cry I had no idea who Brandon Tenna was, I never heard about this crime. This documentary is about Brandon Tenna, the men inside the woman, the people in this film are all people who knew Brandon, people who knew him as Brandon and people who knew her as Teena, I wish they had more to show about Brandon the story of the girl and the story of the boy inside her, I wish they had more pitures of Brandon as Brandon and as Teena. Her mother only said a few things, I wish the mother had stories to tell about Teena when she was a little girl and the sister, I wish she could've shared stories about Teena as her sister with the viewers. I thought this documentary had the complete story of the life and death of Teena Brandon, we all know who killed her, we all know who was involved but, what we don't know is what happpened to her why did it get so bad for her in Lincoln? I felt so sad after seeing what I saw, the few pictures of Brandon. If I was different which we all are, I would never move to a small town like Falls City, I wonder why Brandon never thought about coming here to Los Angeles or San Francisco even New York, people in big cities are more civilize and understading. We have so many different people here, even if some of us don't agree we some how accept each other. It is time to understand that we are all the same, whatever difference we have is not to us to judge, live and let live, allow God to make the final judgement, which by the way is the only one who counts. Accept yourself and others will follow. John Lotter & Tom Nissen soon will learn that all the things we do here on earth will be presented to us when we go to that final place, till then I guess John & Tom will just have live with that in mind, I hope they can some day accept what they did and live with it for the rest of their miserable lifes.
R.I.P. TEENA BRANDON (BRANDON TENNA) LISA & PHILLIP.

Lies, love and murder.......2005-07-29

I have heard many sad stories, it breaks my heart to hear them. It never changes for me, I get very depress to hear other peoples sad stories. I first saw the movie Boys Don't Cry, I loved it but, never gave it much thought, I din't know who Brandon Tenna (Teena Brandon) was. I was just curious to see how the real Brandon looked like, so I went on line and there s/he was, just what I thought! s/he was just as handsome as I thought. After seeing The Brandon Tenna Story I felt very close to Brandon, I don't really anderstand gays and lesbians, I don't even try, they live their lives and I live mine, but Brandon was different, Brandon was just what every women wants, maybe if he had been honest with people things would had been different, I have learned that when you accept yourself others follow. I see all human form to be equal, black, gay's, lesbian's etc... we are the same. It is not up to us to judge anyone, therefore it is not up to us to decide who lives and who dies. Why is it so hard for people to love one-other?? Then I think, was there something else that happened between Brandon, Lana, John and Tom? Or was it just pure evil? John & Tom, what made them decide to kill Brandon? Was it really that bad? A lie is a lie, Brandon's little secret was not a reason to hate him nor kill him, I would have been mad but eventually I would had forgiven Brandon. I hope John & Tom live with this in mind; what goes around comes around. The Brandon Tenna Story is a must see. For anyone who wants to know more about the life and death of Brandon Tenna. For all of those who see this documentary, please ask yourselves, have I judge anyone? Have I ever hated someone so much just because they were different? and think about someone else who may also be thinking the same about you, and if this makes you unhappy then you now know better not to judge or hate others.

Sad..........2005-05-07

You know what's really SAD, is that they're deaths could've been prevented if it wasn't for that dumb cop! He sounded like he was excited about questioning her ughhh...sick!

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