HBO revealed the official trailer for Enigma, a new documentary exploring transgender identity and legacy through the stories of icons from the ’70s whose lives helped shape trans culture and history.
Directed by Zackary Drucker (HBO’s “The Lady and the Dale” and “The Stroll”), Enigma had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and debuts Tuesday, June 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
Chronicling the divergent paths of iconic pioneers April Ashley, Amanda Lear, and others, acclaimed filmmaker Zackary Drucker explores questions of identity and survival, revealing the disparate but intertwined stories of women whose lives helped shape trans culture and history. Their experiences, varied and complex, highlight the costs associated with living their truths and explore what is gained and lost by defining their identities.
Enigma delves into the lost history of a vibrant, underground Parisian nightclub, called Le Carrousel, where trans women enjoyed a safe space to express themselves in the 1950s. With stunning archival footage of the women onstage and backstage, dazzling photographs, and home movies of iconic trans performers, the film highlights women whose stories are inextricably linked to the club.
After a career as a Vogue model and a very public marriage and divorce scandal, April Ashley has become immortalized as a trailblazer for embracing her transgender history. She campaigned for the UK’s Gender Recognition Act 2004 and was honored as a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012, solidifying her place as a pioneering figure in the fight for trans equality. Amanda Lear, a French model, musician, and muse to artists, navigated intense public scrutiny and vicious speculation about her gender. While she has obfuscated her past and denied a trans identity, she has become a celebrated performer as she continues to define her own legacy.
Each resilient and defiant in her own way, Ashley and Amanda are joined by other trailblazing women who paint a vivid portrait of a history that is rarely seen on screen. Drucker brings a deeply personal and humanizing lens to these icons, providing both historical context and contemporary resonance to ongoing conversations about gender identity and representation.
Alongside archival interviews with April Ashley, who died in 2021, new interviews include: performers Amanda Lear, Bambi, Dolly Van Doll, and Allanah Starr; writer, historian, and artist, Morgan M. Page.
Watch the official trailer for Enigma.