The Yellow Affair acquires the groundbreaking new transgender drama TV series from New Zealand – RŪRANGI.

The Yellow Affair acquires the groundbreaking new transgender drama TV series from New Zealand – RŪRANGI. 

The story follows burnt-out trans activist Caz Davis returning to RŪRANGI, the rural dairy community he fled ten years ago, hoping to reconnect with his father, who hasn’t heard from him since before Caz transitioned. As father and son slowly reconcile, Caz finds himself swept up in the environmental fight which is dividing the town.

In the face of the #metoo movement and a major push towards equality within the screen industry, there is an entire community of people that don't fall into either of the binaries who, historically, have been overlooked by mass movements of change; gender diverse people.

Although there has been progress in casting, resulting in occasional representation on larger mainstream productions, these roles are often supporting roles. RŪRANGI is a production which tackles the lack of visibility, empowerment, sharing of power and creative decision-making head on; by placing gender-diverse people in creative roles on the production in the cast and crew and also offering a unique paid internship program. The production was also structured with guidance from a trans consultation panel at each stage from draft script to final edit and featured training on gender and sexuality awareness.

RŪRANGI is directed by Max Currie and is created by Cole Meyers and Oliver Page with Cole Meyers serving as Series Writer. RŪRANGI is produced by Craig Gainsborough for Autonomouse. 

The lead roles are played by Elz Carrad, Arlo Green, Āwhina Rose Henare Ashby, Kirk Torrance and Ramon Te Wake. 

The series has been created with support from NZ on Air, New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Media and Entertainment and Goethe Institut.

Karoliina Dwyer said: “We couldn’t be happier including RŪRANGI in our lineup of drama series.  In addition to the strong story, we are proud to represent a series in which every trans role is cast with a trans actor and supporting a marginalized group, which aligns with The Yellow Affair’s values. We immediately responded to the talented team behind the series with their infectious enthusiasm and inclusive, ground-breaking approach and feel inspired by the creativity of everyone involved.”

Craig Gainsborough said: “we were seeking a sales agent that understood the importance of trans representation to gender diverse audiences, not only in front of the camera - but behind it, too.  We couldn’t have found a better alignment than The Yellow Affair and can't wait to share RŪRANGI with the world. To quote our series writer Cole Meyers – this is a series made by us, and about us.”

RŪRANGI was selected as part of the Berlinale Series Market and The Yellow Affair will commence sales immediately. The series is expected to be released in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in August 2020 via NZME.

For further information on the TV series and details on the ways in which RŪRANGI is breaking ground, you can visit the website: www.rurangi.com.