TOPS by Ames Pennington

On the question that defines trans masc experience in the UK today: “What TOP did you wanna wear after TOP surgery?”

In this profound and intimate film, Ames meets four unique individuals: a powerlifter and gay-games Olympian hopeful, a housing-officer-slash-actor, an Essex filmmaker, and an equality diversity and inclusion-specialist-and-occasional-model. Ames’ curiosity illuminates their experiences, through extraordinary unlimited access into their lives, homes, and bags of dicks. Insightful and invasive, TOPS allows audiences to fully understand the question on everyone’s lips.

TOPS is a genre-busting documentary (with fictionalised elements) inspired by the chaotic, brash, self-deprecating and clueless style of 1990s/2000s British TV. Presented by an ever-so-slightly desperate and lonely version of the artist Ames Pennington, who is willing to steal footwear and camp out in the gardens of interviewees for ultimate unencumbered access and the potential of their first-ever trans friend. TOPS wants to give space to the experience of top surgery, and those that have it, without being another sad or gory story. Your nipples might fall off – but you can still have a lol.

This artwork is co-commissioned by Homotopia, Studio Voltaire and Islington Mill with funding from Arts Council England.

Content warnings
May contain some offensive language and have references to surgery.