Born to Be Human
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Film description
Shi-lan is fourteen and eagerly delves deeper into the world of video games as the relationships with his adolescent peers are becoming increasingly difficult. The weird physiological symptoms he is experiencing do not make his life any easier. And their cause is very serious – Shi-lan’s parents keep from him the diagnosis of sex development disorders. Without informing him about the real goal of the procedure, they subject the boy to a sex reassignment surgery, after which he will slowly become a girl.
The dramatic story of the young person is a rare cinematic attempt to portrait the complex experiences of intersex people and the multiple layers of misunderstanding they are facing – and an intriguing look at the gender norms in the Taiwanese society. It is also a universal story of a person who was denied their basic right to decide about themselves, served in a very moving form.
The director, inspired by a story of a person close to her, directs her message at a wide audience, looking for a way to raise debate about the rights of intersex people and the medical procedures they are subjected to. The leading role is played by a young Taiwanese actress, Lily Lee, who received the Yakushi Pearl Award at the Festival in Osaka for her performance.
text:
Jagoda Murczyńska
Lily Ni
Director and screenwriter. She studied at the Beijing World Youth Academy, Boston University and University of Southern California. She made over a dozen shorts, including the award-winning "FeMale" (2016). "Born to Be Human" is her feature debut.
2021 Płeć: człowiek / Sheng er wei ren / Born to Be Human
2018 Date Night (kr. m.)
2016 FeMale (kr. m.)
2015 Soulmate (kr. m.)
2015 Life As Smoke (kr. m.)
