Less than two months after coming out as transgender, international fashion model Andreja Pejic announced fundraising plans for a feature-length documentary about her life. Since its launch on Friday, a Kickstarter campaign in support of the documentary has raised over $16,000.
The film Andrej(a) will give viewers an intimate view of growing up as a Serbian refugee, achieving success in her career as an androgynous model, and eventually bringing trans visibility to the world of modeling and beyond by coming out as her authentic self.
She explained on her Kickstarter page:
At that point in time I didn’t have a strong desire to share what was about to happen with anyone but a few very close friends, certainly not a camera! Eric’s words changed my view forever.
“This is a powerful part of an immensely courageous journey, we need to film this!” Eric said, his eyes beaming with excitement. “Your story is so unique. It has the potential to reach so many and to help millions of young people around the world. You need to do this! You know how many trans people (and people in general) are out there hiding, forced to live as someone they are not. You could give them hope by going public about this.”
Pejic has received international attention modeling on runways and in ad campaigns for some of the world's biggest designers. She began modeling in 2007, and since then has been named to the Out 100 and received a NewNowNext award for style. She has been on the covers of Elle, New York, and many more, and walked the biggest international runways. In 2013, she co-starred in David Bowie's music video, "The Stars are Out Tonight," alongside Tilda Swinton.
The 23-year-old's incredible talent and personal courage are equal parts engaging and inspiring. The New York Times profiled Andreja on Friday, and she will be hosting a Reddit AMA on Monday, September 15 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET.
"Her androgyny endeared her to some, but in other corners of the male modeling world, pressure to conform grew...And now, after several months away from the business, she is waiting to see whether a major designer — indeed, the entire fashion establishment — will accept her as a woman," the New York Times said.
GLAAD continues to work closely with Andreja to share her experiences as a transgender woman.
"I feel that for a lot of my career, I had success, I was adored, but I was also this alien creature," Andreja told the New York Times regarding her rise to the top. "I want to show that I have the skill like any other female model, and I’m asking for the same equal treatment and equal respect as any other female model.”