Manscaping is a documentary about how the barber shop experience can negatively impact gay and transgender men, and how three men in three different countries are doing remarkable things to turn that experience into something really special.

Devan, a gay Black man in Pittsburgh, always dreaded the barber shop. As a child, the hypermasculinity and homophobia nearly brought him to tears. He even experienced racism from a barber who wasn’t willing to cut his “textured” hair. Now he’s an artist who uses velvet, enamel, and glitter to add texture to art depicting Black men’s hair and adds Swarovski crystal tears to his creations.

In Vancouver, Jessie runs Big Bro’s Barber Shop, a shop that caters specifically to transgender men. As a trans man with a “short leather daddy haircut,” Jessie always felt unwelcome in barber shops and was often forced to pay extra for a woman’s haircut. Now he runs a shop with gender neutral pricing and sliding scale fees to make sure everyone is welcome.

Down Under in Sydney, Richard specializes in body hair trims and genital grooming. To make the experience of disrobing and having another man attend to your, um... down under, more comfortable, Richard works in the nude. Known as the “Naked Barber”, he even has a sling for customers who want a especially close shave.  

As these three men ply their craft, we see people moved to tears by their work and customers sharing grateful hugs with their barber. A fascinating documentary, Manscaping will pull the hair back from your eyes and show you how powerful a simple haircut can be.

~ Stephen Weisenreder

Jury Award, Best Documentary Honorable Mention: OUTshine Miami LGBTQ Film Festival

Official Selection: Outfest LA Film Festival 

Official Selection: BFI Flare London LGBTQ+ Film Festival