Spring 2017

Niki Caro

Director Niki Caro (North Country, The Zookeeper's Wife) on why she's watching Transparent

Transparent's Pfefferman family. (Photo: Everett)

I have just finished watching Transparent Season 3, and I did not want it to end. The degree of intimacy in the filmmaking is rare and unusual, and I deeply appreciate its authenticity and specificity.

The Pfefferman family—flawed, messy, self-absorbed and tender—are somehow not just characters in a TV drama; they feel like real people. They feel like family.

The series is impeccably cast, and anchored by a lead performance that can sit with any of the greats. I applaud the directorial decisions, where the banal and the sublime coexist in every awkward moment, where episodes veer into sometimes strange and unusual territory, and where scenes are deeply felt, but also very funny.

Season 3 is a triumph. May Jill Soloway and her team make many, many more.