#Video diary for kids pro
#Video diary for kids professional

But Stay On Board defines Baker not so much by his trans nonbinary experience, as it does by his defiant courage to be himself no matter the cost, as his profile rises again in the lead up to the Olympics. There are some particularly raw and moving sequences as Leo talks about the life-threatening distress that his gender dysphoria is causing him and we witness some of the challenges he experiences to get the healthcare treatment he needs. He’s an open, highly engaging, and generous subject and the interviews that he gives in the film often feel more like personal video diary entries than documentary soundbites particularly once the pandemic hits and filming continues. Leo clearly realizes how important sharing his story is as he embraces becoming the high profile gender nonconforming representation that he never saw in the world growing up.

Leo Baker in Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story. In some respects he’s put his life on hold for the past decade, including delaying getting the top surgery he wants. He says that he’s known his gender identity since he was a child, but the more he achieved success as a high profile skateboarder, the more challenging it became for him to fully embrace who he was in all aspects of his life. Essentially, the highly gendered arena of sports, branding and sponsorship have simultaneously amplified and stifled his journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

#Video diary for kids professional

The stark disconnect between how Leo is viewed and discussed in his professional life, and how he exists and identifies as a trans nonbinary individual away from the spotlight, has become unbearable for him, and it is increasingly uncomfortable to watch play out as we get to know Leo. Publicly though, he continues to take part in women’s skateboarding under his former name, and his skills have put him in the frame to compete for Team USA in the first-ever Olympics Women’s Street Skateboarding event at Tokyo 2020.

When we meet him, in his late twenties, in private he’s known as Lee or Leo and uses he/they pronouns. Produced by Alex Schmider ( Changing the Game, Disclosure, Framing Agnes) and shot over several years, the film follows Baker as he is ultimately forced to chose to between his career and being his authentic self.

#Video diary for kids pro

Nicola Marsh and Giovanni Reda’s riveting and inspiring portrait of trailblazing pro skateboarder Leo Baker, Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story, received its world premiere at last month’s Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, ahead of its global launch on Netflix this Thursday, August 11th.