Director: Julie Cohen

Features: Sean Saifa Wall, Alicia Roth Weigel, River Gallo

Stirring and genuinely enlightening and frank, the latest documentary from Julie ‘RBG’ Cohen profiles three American intersex persons, while charting the troubled history of how intersex folk, until shockingly recently, were regarded and treated by the medical community. A cheeky opening montage shows a series of over-ebullient and comically elaborate gender reveal ceremonies, before we are introduced to the trio of interviewees. They are artist River Gallo (pronouns they/them), political consultant Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they) and PHD student Sean Saifa Wall (he/him). Interviewed separately and together, they discuss their respective experiences of growing up intersex and how they were able to parlay those life lessons into activism. Cohen juxtaposes the trio’s broadly positive accounts with the earlier more troubled history of intersex Americans. Particularly tragic is the harrowing story of David Reimer who was treated as an experiment by controversial sexologist Dr John Money. Unsurprisingly, their experiences have a timely parallel with the Trans community. Indeed Weigel very persuasively argued in a state hearing against legislation regarding bathroom usage. The indie acoustic covers of stereotypically CIS pop songs are a little too cute and cloying, but this remains a vital documentary.

David Willoughby

Follow David on Twitter @DWill_Crackfilm