ACADEMICS ADMISSIONS STUDENTS FACULTY ALUMNI ABOUT COVID-19 EXPLORE APPLY Features BFA Film Student Jane Noury Talks Being the Subject of Trans Docu-Series ‘Always Jane’ The new Amazon Prime series debuts on November 12. November 11, 2021 by Anne Quito An image of BFA Film student Jane Noury from the docu-series Always Jane. CREDIT: AMAZON STUDIOS SHARE While much of the world was on standstill during the pandemic, Jane Noury, 20, underwent some major life transitions. Currently a first-year BFA Film student, she graduated from high school, became a professional model, moved to New York City and wrapped Always Jane, a four-part documentary series about her life as a transgender teen in suburban New Jersey. The film, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video this month, offers a vivid testimony about the crucial role of loving families during the difficult process. Though the transgender experience has been portrayed in several celebrated Hollywood productions over the years—Boys Don’t Cry (1993), All About My Mother (1999) and The Danish Girl (2015) among them—Noury says there’s a range of coming-out stories that have yet to be told. “There is no one way to transition; every person’s journey is so different,” she explains. “We need more trans stories told by trans filmmakers.” On the precipice of Always Jane’s debut, Noury spoke about making the documentary with director Jonathan C. Hyde during the thick of the pandemic and the potential of films to illuminate, inspire and educate us. You’re the star, co-executive producer, and credited as a cinematographer on Always Jane. How did the project come about? I met Jonathan C. Hyde in 2019. I was then part of a modeling competition and he was producing short videos about each contestant. Jonathan sent me several Handycams and asked me to film my day-to-day life, thinking he could get B-roll footage from it. But then Jonathan met my family and was so struck that I never lacked their support. He inspired me to tell my story. Our small collaboration became a big project. I'm so grateful for a platform like Amazon that's willing to share a story like ours. What inspired you to pursue film at the School of Visual Arts? My mom, who dreamt of attending SVA, advised me to look into the film program and I loved it. I got to meet Mary [Lee Grisanti, the program’s acting chair] and sensed that she really cares about the students—it almost felt like having a second mom. Film has always given me an escape from all the negativity and dark depressing thoughts while I was in the process of transitioning. Listening to other people's stories somehow brought me joy. I studied film throughout high school and made a few shorts. One film I made was accepted for the All American High School Film Festival, which was really exciting. I love the whole process of making a movie. I get the most joy out of physically filming it, but I’d also love to direct my own film one day. It’s a hard industry to get into but that would be a dream. An image from the docu-series Always Jane. CREDIT: AMAZON STUDIOS Can you name some of your formative films? I grew up on Disney movies and really loved the animation and the storytelling. The 2005 production of Pride and Prejudice is another film that’s really stuck with me. I love the one opening shot, which was essentially one long take going through the house. You really get a sense of the family. What shows or movies get the trans experience right? I don’t feel that there’s a lot of accurate representation of the trans community on screen. Of the few that get it, the one that comes to mind is the HBO series, Euphoria. Jules, played by Hunter Schaefer, undergoes a hard transition and is confined to a mental health facility. Her storyline mirrors the experience of so many young trans people who aren’t accepted when they come out. It’s a hard thing not to be accepted for who you are and it can really f--k up someone in the head. Disclosure on Netflix is a very good documentary that goes in-depth about the struggles of the trans community over the course of a whole century. They show, for instance, how a man was thought to be insane if he dressed up as a woman. The persistence of storylines like that affects how the trans community is portrayed and perceived. What clichés about trans people need to be retired? Coming out doesn’t mean that your life suddenly becomes an open book. There’s a lot of curiosity and ignorance about the trans experience and some people just aren’t very sensitive about the questions they ask. For example, some feel like they can just ask what’s in your pants, which is so inappropriate. My first year coming out was rough. I was not secretive about it, but I didn’t want being trans to affect how people saw me. I already felt like an alien and it wasn’t even something I was used to yet. For the first couple of years, I wasn’t ready to have open, honest conversations about it. Some people will never be prepared for those conversations because it’s their own personal thing; no one is obligated to share. Always Jane is a testament to the power of a family’s unconditional love in the coming out process. What did they think of the series? My mom and dad are my biggest cheerleaders. The rest of my family were all also very accepting when I came out; I was very lucky and I’m very privileged in that sense. I recently showed the trailer to my 93-year old grandfather, Gabriel, and he was so excited about it. He’s like, “That’s going to be on TV?!” He’s really proud of the family and what we’re doing. My parents and I are getting so many notes and like love letters from our extended family, too; it’s been a wonderful experience. Who do you hope the documentary reaches? Are you concerned at all about critics? It’s for anyone undergoing any kind of transition or knows someone in the process. We really wanted to get the message across that being accepting and loving can make all the difference in someone’s journey into becoming who they are. There’s also a bigger lesson about being respectful and loving towards yourself. It’s inevitable that someone is going to have a [negative] opinion. I know that I went in with the right intentions in making the documentary and I hope I can be a light for someone. The entire world is in many ways at a transitional moment, where we’re learning how to find our bearings amid a global pandemic and a climate crisis. What big lesson did you learn after the big transitions in your life? Patience. I really learned to trust that everything will come in its own time. I was 12 years old when I began starting my transition and I essentially experienced a whole new puberty and had to learn who I was as a woman. I learned to be patient with myself and my family because we were, in a sense transitioning together. All I knew for 14 years of my life was what I knew from my old life when I was called Jack. I’m very comfortable mentioning my dead name, though we have to be cognizant that some trans people aren’t. I feel that having gone through what I have has made me mature faster. I’m just full of gratitude right now and don’t take anything for granted. Always Jane debuts on Amazon Prime on November 12. Watch the trailer for the series below. (This interview was edited for clarity.) An image from the docu-series Always Jane. CREDIT: AMAZON STUDIOS CREDIT: AMAZON PRIME Always Jane | Official Trailer | Prime Video School of Visual Arts 209 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 212.592.2000 Jump In Apply Working @ SVA Hire SVA Talent Reach Out Contact & Map Request Info Visit Connect Events Subscribe Donate Accessibility Notice Policies & Guidelines Colophon