Bennett Wallace decided early in his childhood that he didn’t want to be identified as a woman. The young musician from Mariposa struggled with drugs, self-abuse and lack of support from his family before sobering up and transitioning into a man.

His story was chronicled in the award winning documentary film “Real Boy,” tracking Bennet’s personal transformation and kinship with a fellow transgender musician Joe Stevens based in Sacramento. The film is part of the Crocker Art Museum’s ongoing documentary series California Fresh that features films about issues and people in the Golden State. Director Shaleece Haas and Bennett Wallace share the story behind the documentary.