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Kelly and Lucy meet at Kelly’s flat in the middle of a bustling city to celebrate Lucy having been on HRT for three years. They pack up a picnic and head out towards the outskirts of town, out of the noise and into the countryside, a walk which Lucy documents on her old camcorder. But Kelly seems weighed down by something. As they get to the top of the hill, Kelly reveals to Lucy that she’s made a difficult decision that will change their friendship, a decision made in an attempt to preserve her safety as a trans woman.

In times defined by court rulings, bathroom bans and misguided guidance governing the way we exist within civilisation, I feel a constant desire to escape. Many of us trans folk are in a constant search for somewhere to feel safe, in a negotiation between our desires to be out and proud and our needs to be secure and happy - things that don’t seem to go together right now.

In a Safe and Hidden Place takes this idea and poses two possibilities for places that could be both safe and hidden, utopias where trans people might be able to find peace and potential; the countryside and in filmmaking. However, above everything, this film is a plea for us all to listen to each other, within the trans communities, as we all navigate this difficult world and how we can continue to exist within it. Whatever it takes and however difficult it may be.

Our characters, Kelly and Lucy, represent two very different parts of the transgender community, and, though they’re best friends, they have very different experiences of their gender and how it relates to the world around them. 

LUCY is a woman who has run head first into femininity. She’s celebrating her three year anniversary of being on HRT, which she receives from her GP. Lucy is an art student who enjoys using her old cam corder to capture images to incorporate into her art. She finds herself at the centre of her community, enjoying the company of other trans women in the fight for their rights to exist.

KELLY has had a rougher journey with her gender. Unable to get HRT prescribed from her GP, she has resorted to unreliable DIY methods. Kelly is more closed off from the world around her, spending a lot of time in her little flat in the middle of the city. She isn’t connected to her community, in fact, she’s starting to think the community isn’t exactly where she fits.

J is a Brighton-based director whose work is primarily concerned with exploring transgender life. They are particularly interested in how cinema might contribute to a greater understanding of trans experiences, with a particular focus on film aesthetics. In 2024, J won the New Voices Award at Cinecity Film Festival for their short film Dead Body, which explored gender dysphoria through the horror genre.

“For maybe three or four years now, everything I’ve been writing has been about the role the countryside played and continues to play in supporting the exploration of my Queer identity. I’m super excited (and a little bit nervous) to have what I hope is both a challenging and beautiful filmic discussion about transness and visibility with whoever is willing to listen!”

In preparation for shoot, J will be rewatching all of Kelly Reichardt’s films and finding a pair of socks that don’t slide off their feet inside their walking boots.

Evelyn is a London based producer whose portfolio spans award winning short films, music videos and commercials. They have a particular interest in stories that embrace innovative, unorthodox narratives and bold, alternative perspectives, often with a queer lens.

“Every time J and I work together I am so so proud of what we end up creating, but this film seems to have already blown all those out of the water! This film has held such a special place in my heart since the start when J gave me the first draft of the script, and I'm absolutely honoured to be able to see it through to the very end. This topic is one that is so dear to me and I trust we will be able to do it justice with the incredible team we have surrounding us.”

In preparation for the shoot, Evelyn will be frolicking and skipping through fields and researching how to reason with local sheep.

Grace is an environmental cinematographer from rural Norfolk, inspired by the deep-rooted connection between our natural and political landscapes. Her experience as Director of Photography spans from works of fiction to documentary; common in their goals of visualising the beauty of our complex human existence through a compassionate lens.

“It will inevitably sound a little cheesy, but I was just overwhelmingly honored when J approached me about working as DP on this project. The trust required to hand over such a responsibility for the visual look of the film, that is so crucial to this particular story, is massive. I cannot thank the team enough for allowing me to help communicate this hugely important narrative.”

In prep for the shoot, Grace will be drinking copious amounts of herbal tea, and practicing how to do a reverse rain-dance (just in case of emergencies!).

Bethany is an editor from the South West with a love for poetic and observational storytelling. Drawn to stories that explore identity, place, and human connection, she is particularly interested in finding meaning in the quieter moments and shaping emotionally poignant narratives through the edit.

"I'm excited by how much of this story lives beneath the surface. I think the edit will be a real journey of uncovering those subtler layers and shaping them to reveal the final film. Having worked with J many times before, but not yet on a fiction project, I'm really looking forward to taking that creative journey together."

In preparation for the edit, Bethany will be making the most of the summer sunshine, and reassuring herself that being emotionally attached to a folder structure is, in fact, a perfectly reasonable trait for an editor.

Pauline Parker is the multi-instrumentalist lead singer of alternative rock band M. Woodroe. As a solo performer, they craft intricate songs about gender, motherhood and the sorry state of the world. Earlier this year, M. Woodroe was signed to Venn Records and will release their debut EP in Autumn, so the solo project offers a much-needed space for experimentation, which has seen Pauline pick up synths, cellos, autoharps and e-bows, some of which will be appearing on this film’s soundtrack. 

“I’m really excited to work alongside J and the team again, having had them previously make some of my music videos. I’m looking forward to challenging myself with new directions of music and taking a break from the usual raucous noise to explore gender through sound rather than lyrics.”

In preparation for scoring the film, Pauline will be attempting to hang a microphone from a lampshade to perfect a lo-fi bedroom setup and listening to Grouper until they’ve managed to decipher even just one line.

It’s estimated that of the behind-the-camera workforce in the UK film industry, 0.6% identify as trans or non-binary. GLAAD found that less than 0.5% of films released in cinemas in 2025 features trans characters. Clearly, we trans folk are having a hard time on and off screen in this industry. If you donate to this film, you will be directly aiding the creation of a film that features only trans characters made by a trans/non-binary led crew. You’d be part of enabling a truly diverse production, and proving the power of grassroots trans filmmaking.