Two Spirits: The Fred Martinez Story

 In 2001, 16-year-old Fred Martinez was brutally murdered near his hometown of Cortez, Colorado. He was poor, Navajo, and transgendered but Fred was blessed to have grown up with the cultural belief there are four genders, not only male and female but mixed identities like his. 

'Two Spirits', a documentary by Lydia Nibley and produced by Denver-based nonprofit Just Media, not only tells the story of the life and death of this youngest-ever victim of a hate crime but also delineates the larger context within which his murder occurred. Interviewees include Fred’s mother, family supporters, those who brought Fred’s killer to justice, and civil rights advocates and activists who found terrible but redemptive meaning in his death.

The film was recently screened at the Starz Film Center and will be available on DVD soon.