When documentary director Sharon Shattuck was still in middle school, her dad came out to her family as transgender and changed names from Michael to Trisha. During the awkward throes of adolescence, having a parent who is exploring gender identity can be a difficult issue to navigate  — especially in a small Midwestern town. In fact, for Sharon and her sister it was such a struggle to accept that they saw no solution aside from encouraging their parents to get a divorce. How could their straight-identified mother, Marcia, who fell in love with Michael, still be in love with Trisha? How could they possibly stay married through such a transition?

But too heartbroken at the idea of a life without each other, Trisha and Marcia never divorced, and now, several years later as Sharon prepares for her own wedding, she returns home to Michigan to better understand the impact Trisha’s transition had on the family — why her parents stayed together and how their love endured all the challenges that came along with it. The story revealed is made all the more compelling by the seemingly contrary yet entirely compatible — and adorable — couple at its center: Marcia, the traditional, even-keeled pathologist, and Trisha, the vivacious, experimental artist.

Produced by Martha Shane (_After Tiller), _Shattuck’s feature directorial debut is an intimate family portrait that layers home video and gracefully shot footage of northern Michigan landscapes with Trisha’s own stunning paintings, which offer vibrant insight into the highs and lows of her personal journey. In the end, the only real question is: what is everyone wearing to Sharon’s wedding?