Kokomo City (Review) – D. Smith’s intimate documentary is authentic, honest and uninhibited

Kokomo City is playing in UK & Irish cinemas from August 4. 

In loving memory of Koko Da Doll, who was killed on the streets of Atlanta on April 18, 2023.

Bold, uninhibited and raw are just a few words I could use to describe D. Smith’s fascinating, intimate and honest portrait of the lives of four Black trans sex workers, Daniella Carter, Dominique Silver, Koko Da Doll and Liyah Mitchell. From the avenues of New York to the streets of Atlanta, the intimacy with which each woman recounts their experiences and observations is unlike anything seen before. D. Smith keeps the atmosphere light, humorous and playful as discussions focus on identity, gender, race, discrimination and transformation. But amongst the dry humour, their stories often delve into far darker territory, as the risks, violence and control of their encounters are laid bare alongside their courage, tenacity and pride.

Kokomo City’s raw honesty is a testament to each woman’s confidence in D. Smith as a black trans filmmaker as they candidly talk about their black cis-male clients and the secret desires they express behind closed doors. Here Kokomo City isn’t afraid to explore the discrimination and hate each woman faces and the toxic masculinity that often threatens their life following an encounter – a truth brought home by Dominique Silver as she states, “Violence doesn’t happen before the orgasm, it happens after.” The murder of Koko Da Doll earlier this year only brings these discussions into sharper focus as all four women talk about the violence and control that surrounds their interactions with men who are unable to accept their own desires.

D. Smith also allows black cis-male voices to come through, exploring the feelings of those in relationships with trans women. These voices add to the complex portrait of intersectional discrimination, private vulnerability and public displays of control painted by Carter, Silver, Da Doll and Mitchell. Each man discusses themes that defy the social and community image they are told to uphold from a young age, allowing Kokomo City to explore the multiple and complex layers of community oppression inherent in the ongoing battle for trans rights.

The result is one of the most authentic and honest discussions on sex work and the black trans experience ever committed to celluloid. Here D. Smith places strong trans black women in the spotlight by celebrating their vitality, womanhood and pride while allowing their lived experience to do the talking.