Lilly & Lana Wachowski

Lana & Lilly: The Wachowski Sisters

Before Chicago natives Lana and Lilly Wachowski made history as the first pair of trans siblings to cement themselves in mainstream film, they were admired for their vivid action-adventure narratives, unafraid of diving deep and confronting denser questions. Though best known for creating ​The Matrix series, their flair for fantastical world-building is likewise evident in the sisters’ screen interpretations of ​Speed Racer ​(2008) and ​Cloud Atlas ​(2012), as well as the screenplay they adapted for ​V for Vendetta​ (2005). The two seldom gave interviews or appeared in the public eye beyond film premiers, but amidst some speculative Hollywood whispers, Lana confirmed her gender identity in 2010, easing some strain for her younger sister Lilly to do the same in 2016.

The Wachowskis made their directorial debut with the glistening and alluring lesbian noir film Bound ​(1996)​. ​As both sisters have been in long term relationships with cis-gender women, Lilly since 1991, subject matter dealing with the lesbian experience might have been more personal than previously presumed. Numerous studios urged the Wachowskis to straight-wash what they agreed was a stand-out script, in hopes of making a more digestible film for a target audience still grasping the notion of a female-led action film. The sisters declined.

Having proved their story-telling savvy, the Wachowskis went on to construct one of the most exemplary pieces of contemporary science fiction in their metaphysical and deeply philosophical ​The Matrix ​(1999). It received immediate acclaim for its stunts, special effects, and intricate cyberpunk universe, and proceeded to win all four Academy Award categories for which it was nominated. The film spawned several sequels, video games, and a following too vast in numbers to be considered “cult.” Unsurprisingly, ​The Matrix​ has since been understood as a fable illustrating the trans experience, its overarching themes being rebirth, duality, and the ways in which the expanses of the mind can exceed the restraints of the physical.

“There's a critical eye being cast back on Lana's and I’s work through the lens of our transness,” said Lilly during her 2016 GLADD Media Award acceptance speech for the series Sense8, co-created with Lana. “This is a cool thing, because it's an excellent reminder that art is never static. And while the ideas of identity and transformation are critical components in our work, the bedrock that all ideas rest upon is love.”