Wrong Bathroom

A transgender student enters the men's restroom for the first time and is pressured by his male classmates to fit in.

May 23, 2025 - 06:30

What would you risk to feel like you belong? For many young people, fitting in often means making uncomfortable compromises – but how far would you go to be accepted? In Film Independent short Wrong Bathroom, director Ragini Bhasin confronts this question head-on, following a nervous transgender student as they step into the male restroom for the first time. What begins as an anxious attempt to navigate a new space quickly evolves into a powerful exploration of identity, perception, and the unspoken dynamics that play out behind closed doors.

“I was immediately drawn to its universal theme: the need to belong”

“There were moments early on in my transition where masculinity seemed inaccessible, even intimidating to me. And yet I longed to fit in — no matter the cost,” writer Nate Gualtieri explains. Loosely inspired by Gualtieri’s own experiences, Wrong Bathroom explores the difficult realities faced by trans individuals. Although the script was written to spotlight the “difficult compromises trans people make in the name of passing and preserving their safety,” director Bhasin was drawn to the project by what she describes as its “universal theme: the need to belong.”

It was this relatability that motivated Bhasin to bring Gualtieri’s story to the screen. She hoped the film would “reach young adults who often feel pressured to go the extra mile just to be accepted, especially those from marginalized communities.” At the same time, Bhasin emphasised the importance of authentically representing the trans experience, adding, “at its heart, the film sheds light on the social cost of being a trans boy in a world that rarely offers space, literally and physically. We hope the audience recognizes these challenges, connects with the story on a human level, and leaves with a deeper sense of empathy.”

Benny Zielke stars as Gabe in Wrong Bathroom

The themes explored in Wrong Bathroom feel especially urgent here in the UK right now, following a recent Supreme Court ruling that defined the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act as referring solely to biological sex. In the wake of the decision, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued guidance stating that “trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s facilities.” Against this backdrop, Bhasin’s film carries added weight – offering a timely and essential window into the trans experience for audiences who may struggle to relate or empathise.

This is the power of Wrong Bathroom – and of short film more broadly. The ability to distill a complex, topical issue into a brief yet emotionally resonant narrative is one of the form’s greatest strengths. It’s also one of the reasons I’m passionate about short film programming: seeing stories tackled that rarely find space in mainstream media, and bringing those stories to audiences in ways that are both accessible and impactful.

But Wrong Bathroom isn’t just here because of its subject matter. This is confident, immersive filmmaking. Bhasin shoots the film largely from the protagonist’s perspective, often obscuring other characters in the frame to mirror his disorientation and isolation. The editing is equally thoughtful, allowing the story to unfold with a measured, authentic pace. Bhasin explains this was intentional, designed to let the audience “sit with Gabe’s emotions and experience his internal world.” The result is a striking example of how narrative and craft can work together to deepen empathy and understanding.