Intersex representation in film
Intersex, in humans and other animals, describes variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies". Intersex is a part of nature and that is reflected in some representations of intersex in film and other media.
Documentary films about intersex
''Hermaphrodites Speak!''
Hermaphrodites Speak! is a 30-minute documentary film from the United States in which several intersex people at the first retreat of the Intersex Society of North America discuss their lives and the medical treatment and parenting they received.''XXXY''
In 2000, Porter Gale, Masters in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University, and Laleh Soomekh, produced XXXY, a documentary revealing intersex individuals' and medical professional's opinions on the surgical procedures done on them, while providing a medical professional's opinion as well. The film clearly shows the dissatisfaction and the painful repercussions for the children who went through sex reassignment surgeries.''One in Two Thousands''
One in Two Thousand produced by Ajae Clearway features intersex individuals and their experiences with surgeries, and advocates for informed consent.''Orchids, My Intersex Adventure''
Australian documentary filmmaker Phoebe Hart directed the 2010 autobiographical documentary Orchids, My Intersex Adventure of her personal experience as an intersex person. It explores the various social scenarios faced by many intersex individuals.''Intersexion''
Grant Lahood's 2012 documentary Intersexion follows Mani Bruce Mitchell of Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand as they visit intersex people in America, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and Australia. It was awarded the Best Feature Documentary award at the Documentary Edge Festival, presented by. The film was directed by Grant Lahood.''Sidney & Friends''
When his family tries to kill him, Sidney, who is intersex, flees to Nairobi where he meets a group of transgender friends. Together, they fight discrimination and discover life, love and self-worth.''No Box for Me: An Intersex Story (Ni d'Eve, ni d'Adam: une histoire intersexe)''
No Box for Me: An Intersex Story is a poignant documentary that explores the lives of intersex individuals, focusing on their struggles with identity, societal expectations, and medical interventions. The film follows the personal journeys of two young intersex people, Deborah and M, offering an intimate look at how they navigate a world that often demands they fit into predefined gender categories.''The General Was Female?''
The General Was Female?, a 2019 film about American Revolutionary War General Casimir Pulaski which asserts that he was intersex.''She's Not a Boy''
Robert Tokanel and Yuhong Pang directed this 2019 documentary film about the life of Tatenda Ngwaru, an intersex woman who immigrated from Zimbabwe to the United States. It chronicles the joys and challenges she faces in asylum status, relationship with family, medical care, identity, and the LGBTQIA community.''Stories of Intersex and Faith''
The result of scholarship and interviews about the theology, biology, and personal lives of intersex people, this documentary provides a lens into the diversity of intersex people's experiences and how intersex identity intersects with different contexts.''Every Body''
Focuses on three individuals who overcame shame, secrecy, and unauthorized surgery throughout their childhoods to enjoy successful adulthoods. Choosing to ignore medical advice to conceal their bodies and coming out as who they truly were.Fiction films about intersex
''Ponyboi''
Ponyboi is a USC Graduate thesis film written and directed by River Gallo. It follows a young intersex runaway in New Jersey, looking for love in all the wrong places.After running away from home, Ponyboi now works at Bubble-Land Laundromat—a grungy 24-hour establishment on the wrong side of town. To make ends meet he hustles as a sex-worker within the laundromat. He works with Vinny and Angel.
Ponyboi is a your typical Jersey boy; he loves Bruce Springsteen, the Jersey shore, and a well-rolled blunt. And like all Jersey boys, Ponyboi dreams of getting the hell out of Jersey. However, he believes the only way to do that is by meeting his Prince Charming.
Ponyboi's life changes on a lonely Valentine's day night, when a debonaire cowboy whom he's dreamed about visits him in the laundromat. Through this enchanting encounter with the man of his dreams, Ponyboi discovers that perhaps he is worthy of breaking free from his past and leaving his dead-end life behind.