Lilly Wachowski shared the words she would tell herself 30 years ago, before her gender transition, when she was co-writing and directing the 1996 neo-noir classic Bound, which helped launch The Matrix filmmaker’s career.
“Well, start taking that estrogen. What are you doing? Come out of the closet!” Wachowski told moderator Julie Klausner and a captivated crowd at the Tribeca Festival.
Wachowski was on stage at the Tribeca Festival in Manhattan with the cast of her and sister Lana Wachowski’s sapphic, career-kickstarting feature film debut, including Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano and Christopher Meloni. The festival screened the film for its 30th anniversary at Spring Studios, where it received a rapturous reaction from the audience, which gave Wachowski and the cast a standing ovation when they walked on stage.
Klausner opened the talk with her question to the co-director after acknowledging that the film — which follows tough convict Corky (Gershon) and mobster’s girlfriend Violet as they hatch a scheme to swindle $2 million from her boyfriend Cesar (Pantoliano) — seemed to be sending Wachowski postcards from her past. The film opens with a shot of a closet, Klausner noted.
