THE SOUND OF IDENTITY: The Artistic Pursuit

I recently had the good fortune to interview director James Kicklighter where we had a long discussion covering a modicum of subjects ranging from art, artists, films, filmmaking techniques, editing, and every other avenue underneath the vast umbrella of the arts. Namely, we discussed his most recent feature documentary, The Sound of Identity, and its principal subject, Lucia Lucas, the first transgender woman to headline a major opera production – but in so many ways, that’s just scratching the surface. After a couple of hours and a transcript clocking in over a dozen pages, I came to appreciate the film more than I had the first two times I had watched it. Because what I saw was an artist with a compassionate and intelligent vision that is both disciplined and inquisitive.

Inspiration, Insight, and the Artistic Pursuit

From the outset, The Sound of Identity is a simple film, a deceptively simple film. The forefront of the story is about Lucia Lucas, which, if you read any ancillary synopsis, is the first transgender woman to headline a major opera and the level of her journey and the artistic pursuit. However, that’s just the beginning, and in the best case of documentary filmmaking Lucia’s story propels us into a bevy of diverse and intriguing thematic territories that range prescient, historical, cultural, and most importantly, it gives a lot to unpack in terms of identity.

Kicklighter takes us into the machinations of the Tulsa Opera House, where our subject, Lucia Lucas, a stalwart and magnetic opera singer is taking on the leading role in their production of Don Giovanni. Being a trans woman, who sings in a thunderous, and rather stunning baritone presents a subplot given the themes of gender in Don Giovanni. However, the film bears the hallmarks of an instinctual and intuitive director. Kicklighter knows when to lean into elements that might seem superfluous and build on a contextual subterfuge that reinforces the film.

Lucia and Tobias – A Fortified Bond

The Sound of Identity draws focus from multiple sources. In telling the story of the premier subject, director Kicklighter turns his compassionate lens to the peripheral players and treats them with enthusiasm and spirited inquiry. With each narrative ascension, we see a blossoming friendship and sometimes uneasy alliance with composer/artistic director of the Tulsa Opera House Tobias Picker, whose story and career is something in and of itself a spring of interest to any casual (or informed for that matter) viewer. This is where the already bright feature shines the brightest as we feel the spontaneity and composed filmic diction coming from the director. The Sound of Identity has a punctuated mission statement; the artistic journey and propulsive spark of Lucia Lucas. But, the shrewd construction indicates a film that’s eager to discover as well as reveal; it’s controlled naturalism, and it’s a trait that presents the best sides of the story.

Time is of the Essence

There’s a ticking clock element to the story as the film is very much a countdown to the opening night of this production of Don Giovanni; there’s the exciting pressure that comes with behind-the-scenes storytelling. Any fan of the performing arts will get their requisite fix of backstage intrigue with the presence of rehearsal footage. Not to mention the obligatory COVID-19 conversation, an elephant in the room we can’t ignore (but are tired of talking about) as I’m sure we all miss participating in the arts.

Alongside the suspense is the alliance between Lucia and Tobias Picker, which yields moments of insightful tenderness. We get the impression that Kicklighter is a student as well as a guide in taking on the role of director of this film. Lucas’s proclivity for video games as a method of relaxation yields to one of the film’s most tender moments of quiet revelation. The chemistry between Lucia and Tobias becomes the beating heart of the movie, and it’s engaging and inspiring as we see this mentor/mentee relationship blossom. They challenge, inspire and comfort one another and the generational transference propels the subtle momentum from one to the other.

Conclusion

The Sound of Identity charts the journey of its subject without exploiting or dwelling on the transition-related nature of the story; it benefits from the very essence of the story and consciously avoiding sensationalism or cultural glad-handing. As a result, it’s a documentary with crisp execution, technical assertion, and a tendency for inspiration.

On the horizon for Lucia Lucas and Tobias Picker is a production of The Danish Girl, does this mean we could see another documentary charting their fruitful collaboration?

Watch The Sound of Identity