DOLLS, a new sci-fi short film directed by trans filmmaker and author Geena Rocero, is making its debut on the film festival circuit. The 19-minute thriller is executive produced by Lilly Wachowski, co-creator of The Matrix and Sense8, and features an all-trans women cast.
Set in a near-future world, DOLLS follows Yan, a junior private investigator who infiltrates a self-help dating workshop for trans women. Her goal is to track down a missing participant, but the deeper she gets into the group, the more she realizes something isn’t right. What begins as a seemingly therapeutic space slowly reveals disturbing truths. The film explores themes of identity, community, and the emotional toll of societal expectations placed on trans women.
Geena Rocero, known for her memoir Horse Barbie, makes her directorial debut in this project while also playing the role of Gene, the enigmatic workshop leader. The cast includes Yên Sen, Arewà Basit, Macy Rodman, and Vas Eli.
According to Rocero, the film was inspired by her own thoughts and experiences. “I wanted to visually explore the pressures trans women face around beauty, love, and acceptance,” she said in a recent interview. “It’s about control, identity, and the dangers of conformity.”
Executive producer Lilly Wachowski called the film “a fever dream reflecting on assimilation and the investigation of trans identity” and praised Rocero’s work as “beautiful, weird, and striking.”
The film’s score is composed by Susie Ibarra, one of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners for Music.
DOLLS is currently screening at select festivals across North America and Europe, with a wider release expected later in the year. More information will be announced soon.
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