ShortFest: Former 'The L Word' actress made 'Alok' to exemplify nonbinary experience

As filmmaker Alex Hedison created her short documentary "Alok," she struggled to pinpoint the singular message of the work.

It's clear that the film, which follows nonbinary performance artist, writer and media personality Alok Vaid-Menon, exemplifies what it means to be a nonbinary individual who has reached a global audience through social media. Hedison also shows how Alok, who goes by the pronouns they/them/their, advocates for bodily diversity, gender neutrality and self-determination through compassion rather than combative activism.

But even though Hedison worked hard to capture Alok's ethos — including interviewing many of their friends, such as transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney — she still hadn't determined the 19-minute documentary's message until the final interview, when Alok explained the most controversial pronouns aren't they/them/theirs, it's "we."

"That helped me identify what the story was going to be," Hedison said. "It was like a jigsaw puzzle and I wanted the film to feel like poetry, to be layered and go backwards and forwards. The challenge with a short film is how do you make it a complete from beginning to end? How can I put as much information as I want in there and still make it concise?"

"Alok" will screen on June 22 at Regal Palm Springs during the Palm Springs International ShortFest.

In collaboration with producers Elizabeth Baudouin, Meggan Lennon and Natalie Shirinian, over 40 hours of footage was edited to create the complete cut of the film in four weeks.

“That helped me identify what the story was going to be in a short format, because that’s a challenge with a short film. How do you make it a complete piece from beginning to end? How can I put as much information as I want in there and still make it concise. It was a jigsaw puzzle and I wanted it to feel like poetry. I wanted it to be layered, go backwards and forwards, and if I was going to make a piece about someone who is non-conforming, I wanted the short to reflect that," Hedison said.

Alex Hedison initially felt challenged by Alok Vaid-Menon

Before meeting Alok in 2022, Hedison considered herself to be a non-conformist as a queer woman and artist. Hedison, who married actress Jodie Foster in 2014, is a former actress known for her roles in “The L Word” and “Lois & Clark.” She's also a home designer and accomplished photographer whose work has been showcased in galleries and museums around the globe. While recounting her initial encounter with Alok, she expressed feeling "tremendously moved, motivated, and provoked."

“(Alok) challenged me to embrace more of myself and consider the ways I could express myself, be more of myself and use more of myself than I had in the past," Hedison said.

Hedison noticed while filming Alok on tour in conservative parts of the U.S., South Africa and Namibia that they weren't just advocating for compassion, they were living it. Even though there aren't any scenes included in the film featuring interactions with individual audience members off the stage, she said people approached them with "curiosity and excitement."

“I’m not trying to make Alok a saint, or saying they’re so elevated, but it’s a practical tactic to embrace someone with curiosity and compassion," Hedison said. “It’s amazing what happens when you approach people with love. You can see it on their Instagram page when people come at them with judgment, hate or fear. And Alok will (respond) with compassion."

The advantages and disadvantages of making short films

When making a short film on a subject such as the nonbinary experience, there's naturally a yearning for more footage, narrative and interviews. Still, the finished product covers the basics of Alok's story and background as a child born to Malayali and Punjabi immigrant parents from Malaysia and India, growing up as a gender nonconforming youth in Texas and finding art as an outlet.

Hedison said the decision to make "Alok" a short film was not only budgetary but also because of the timing and importance of getting the message out. According to national LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Lambda Legal, more than 1,200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 48 states since 2022. More than 130 have been enacted.

“Every single decision you have to make is incredibly important because you can’t waste time. You have to know what it is you’re trying to say and have to be concise. In many ways, it’s more experimental and there’s a rigidity to it because you don’t have the luxury of a lot of space and time to find your transitions as you do with a feature," Hedison said.

Even though "Alok" premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the short film program, Hedison said the Palm Springs International ShortFest was at the top of her list of festivals she hoped to get into.

“It’s one of the most renowned festivals. It’s a big deal and I’m really proud of it," Hedison said.

The message that Hedison hopes audiences will take away from "Alok" is to encourage their own introspection, for people to be more accepting of their own identities and to realize that there are infinite ways to be a human being. Instead of asking "How can I help them out there?" she wants people to reflect on themselves internally.

“It’s (a message) of compassion, not just acceptance because acceptance is a word we can throw around a lot, but there are many steps that we have to get through before we get to acceptance. We have to be curious and look inside of ourselves before we look out in the world and make judgments, because it helps us find a way to accept ourselves and any differences around us," Hedison said.

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'The L Word' actress said short film 'Alok' was guided by compassion