30-04-2025
"Outerlands" chronicles a queer journey in a changing San Francisco
San Francisco's Richmond District gets an intimate closeup in the new indie drama " Outerlands," which touches on themes of gender identity, loneliness and childhood trauma.
The big picture: The film explores a non-binary character's emotional and financial struggles upon moving to San Francisco.
It follows Cass, a non-binary newcomer to San Francisco played by "Billions" alum Asia Kate Dillon, who is juggling three jobs and whose new love interest leads them to confront deep-seated feelings of abandonment.
Between the lines: Filming, which initially began in 2016, took place at more than 36 locations across the city, including neighborhood favorites like Hamburger Haven, a longtime diner on Clement Street and well-known dive bar The Bitter End. Other scenes on the city's west side honed in on parts of the Sunset District and Haight Street.
The beautifully-captured shots of this often sleepy, moody and fog-drenched part of the city evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing, particularly evident in scenes where the characters are illuminated under the glare of the neighborhood's vintage neon signs.
The film "embodies the spirit and uniqueness of the Bay Area and reflects our collective pride and love for San Francisco neighborhoods," SFFILM executive director Anne Lai said.
What they're saying: Though the film wasn't intentionally timed to be released in response to the current political climate, director Elena Oxman told Axios she's glad it's coming out now since "there's something extremely affirmative and important about making art" that increases trans and non-binary representation in cinema at a time when trans rights are under attack.
Including details in the story about the character's transition helped create a film "where the main character's queerness isn't the focal point of the story and yet, queerness infuses every frame," Oxman, who moved to the city in 2011, said.
What's next: The film, which premiered on the closing night of the SFFILM festival this past weekend, is still currently on a festival tour as Oxman seeks distribution.
