Controversial film (Re)Assignment attracts stars at TIFF premiere

(Re)Assignment is stirring up a wealth of controversy, but its stars aren't letting that rain on their (red carpet) parade.

On Wednesday night at the Ryerson Theatre, the film's central actors donned smiles and dressed to impress at the TIFF premiere. Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez posed for photos and shared laughs on the red carpet before their film screened at 6 p.m.

Aside from the leading ladies of the film, supporting cast member Caroline Chan and director Walter Hill also attended.

(Re)Assignment centers on a hitman who is unwillingly put through gender reassignment surgery by a deranged and vengeful surgeon. Michelle portrays the killer (Frank Kitchen), who undergoes the male-to-female procedure, and Sigourney plays the woman responsible for administering the surgery (Dr. Rachel Kay).

Criticism of the film has largely come from the transgender community, who has said the movie is transphobic and exploitative, and that reassignment surgery should not be used as a sensationalistic plot device.

Walter, Michelle and Sigourney defended their film on the red carpet. Michelle took issue with the criticism, asking, "Are they mad that somebody decided to take their branded transgender operation and use it on heterosexual people?"

She added, "I'm bisexual. I do guys. I do girls. You can't really argue with me because I'm you. So if I do a movie, I'd never do a movie with the intention of offending anybody in the LGBT community because I'm a part of it."

Sigourney said, "Certainly no one is demeaned or denigrated... It's not a Disney movie. It is noir."

(Re)Assignment also co-stars Tony Shalhoub and Anthony LaPaglia.

Check out images from the red carpet below. ~Matthew Pariselli

All photos courtesy of Euan Cherry/Keystone Press/ZUMA Press.

Tags:

(re)ASSIGNMENT, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, tiff, TIFF 2016

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