Intersexion
Scorpion TV
The first question any new parent asks... "Is it a boy or a girl?" But what happens when doctors cannot answer that question? One baby in 2,000 is born with genitalia that is so ambiguous that no-one can tell if the child is male or female.
In this groundbreaking documentary, intersex individuals reveal the secrets of their unconventional lives - and how they have navigated their way through this strictly male/female world, when they fit somewhere in between.
Running Time
58 mins
Year
2013
Kanopy ID
1108117
Filmmakers
Languages
Subjects
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Comments (7)
Beautiful and insightful
Comprehensive, sad, and ultimately hopeful and inspiring. A great illustration of the misguidedness of the medical community's dichotomous and arrogant thinking. Based on the terribly limited and arrogant work of a self-promoting MD, ironically named, "Money." Highly informative and ...Read more
Comprehensive, sad, and ultimately hopeful and inspiring. A great illustration of the misguidedness of the medical community's dichotomous and arrogant thinking. Based on the terribly limited and arrogant work of a self-promoting MD, ironically named, "Money." Highly informative and compelling.
Read lessSo much courage... I absolutely love it!
Fantastic. This film is the most comprehensive piece I have found that explains intersex to people who have never come across the term before. I knew about intersexuality prior to watching this film, but I will admit that I learned a fair bit about intersexuality.
I was aware of Mani Bruce Mitchell long before I met her. S/he lived in the same suburb as me and was someone who shopped in the same supermarket. Some years later and by then living in a different city, while researching a television series about secrets, I came across her name. However it ...Read more
I was aware of Mani Bruce Mitchell long before I met her. S/he lived in the same suburb as me and was someone who shopped in the same supermarket. Some years later and by then living in a different city, while researching a television series about secrets, I came across her name. However it was only when I met the person with the incredible story that I realised s/he had been my neighbour. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
We made our first television documentary Yellow for Hermaphrodites – Mani’s Story in 2001. Going public with her story on national television (particularly in a small country like New Zealand) required an incredible act of courage from Mani. Thinking back, it is obvious those 15 years since have seen incredible change in terms of the world’s understanding of matters intersex. I credit Mani with helping usher in that change. She is now – on screen and in person - arguably the best known intersex person on the planet.
More recently we collaborated on the present documentary intersexion. This time instead of telling just her own story, she met up with other intersex individuals around the world. Their stories are tragically similar. An irony for Mani was that the medical model for ’treating’ intersex people during the past 40 years was largely developed by the New Zealand born sexologist Dr John Money.
One of the people in the documentary says “intersex is not uncommon – it’s just unheard of”. Well, people have now heard of it.
As a result, the world has better knowledge about the choices and rights of intersex people everywhere. Non-consented medical interventions still happen, but parents and doctors are increasingly changing their default positions. There is growing understanding when previously there was shame and secrecy.
In my career I have been fortunate to meet (and make documentaries about) people like Sir Edmund Hillary (the New Zealand conquerer of Mt Everest) who are called ‘heroes’. To me, no-one deserves that title more than Mani.
Mani Bruce Mitchell is a hero.
And an inspiration in ways that s/he is not even aware of.
Read lessBeautiful, touching, and very frank.
Very thought-provoking. It has stuck with me over the past number of days. It makes me question my own assumptions and look at people more openly.