In honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Shout! Studios on June 1 will give home viewers the chance to watch The Sound of Identity, a groundbreaking feature documentary from director James Kicklighter (Angel of Anywhere) that profiles opera star Lucia Lucas’ historic performance at the Tulsa Opera.
The documentary will be available digitally and on demand from Shout! Factory.
Lucas is a transgender baritone who grew up in Sacramento. She studied horn and voice at California State University at Sacramento and did graduate work at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. She moved to Germany in 2009 as Lucas Harbour. She decided to transition in November 2013, started taking estrogen and antiandrogens in July 2014 and underwent facial feminization surgery in September. In 2016, she had her gender reassignment surgery.
Winner of the 2020 Outshine Film Festival’s prestigious Programmers Award of Excellence, the documentary captures Lucia Lucas on the cusp of international stardom, profiling the moment in an artist’s career when everything could fall apart or come together. Showcasing the collaborative process between Lucas and her mentor, prolific and renowned composer Tobias Picker, Mozart’s Don Giovanni comes to life as Lucas takes the spotlight and all the pressures that come with it. Taking place at the height of her career, Lucas provides fresh insights into her transition, the professional risk she is taking, and what it means for those who follow.
The Sound of Identity is a production from the Emmy Award-winning team of Russ Kirkpatrick and Andy Kinslow and is executive produced by Golden Globe winner and Academy Award-nominated Josh Bachove.