Blue Boy Trial
A powerful new drama exploring a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ history arrives with Blue Boy Trial, the latest film from acclaimed transgender director Kasho Iizuka.
Set in Tokyo, 1965, during the city’s post‑Olympic economic boom, Blue Boy Trial captures a nation grappling with rapid modernisation and shifting social values. As the government tightens its moral regulations, police intensify their crackdown on sex work — only to be confounded by the presence of the so‑called “Blue Boys”: transgender women who live and work as women but remain legally registered as male.
Unable to prosecute them under the Anti‑Prostitution Law, which applies only to “female” prostitutes, authorities instead target Dr Masao Akagi, the pioneering surgeon who performed their gender‑affirming operations. His arrest sparks a groundbreaking legal battle that forces the public to confront its assumptions about gender, identity, and bodily autonomy.
At the heart of the film is Sachi, one of several transgender women asked to testify as character witnesses for the defence. Her decision to speak publicly means confronting her past and allowing society to see her as she truly is — a journey portrayed with remarkable empathy, nuance, and emotional depth.
Blue Boy Trial illuminates a pivotal but little‑known chapter of Japanese history, offering a moving reflection on authenticity, dignity, and the pursuit of happiness in a world determined to deny it.
Audiences are invited to stay after the screening for a special Q&A with director Kasho Iizuka, who will discuss the real case that inspired the film and the importance of telling transgender stories with care and truth.
CHAPTER CINEMA
Times & Tickets
- Saturday 14 February 2026
