This is a short (a little over an hour long) autobiographical documentary about a lesbian transwoman's experiences as she transitioned, told primarily through interviews with her parents, sisters, and friends, as well as her own voiceover. Although these kinds of trans-folk documentaries seem to mostly be cut from the same basic mold, I like watching them more to see the differences in how people handle their transgenderness than in the now-familiar ways they are the same. I sort wish I was able to get a better read on the older of the two sisters, but in general, the interviews gave a pretty clear picture of the various internal conflicts each person had with Gwen Haworth's coming out and transition, and how they dealt with it in their own ways. Although it scares me a little, I love that they showed her ex-wife's desire to be really supportive and then how as the transition got going, she realized that despite the love they shared, she needed to find a man who could address both her emotional and physical/sexual needs in a way that Gwen could not. I see this concern in my wife's eyes whenever we talk about my spending more time at home en femme, so it hit home. Somewhat surprisingly, but refreshingly, Gwen was willing to show her full body nude post-top and bottom surgeries.
Not a brilliant film, but an honest and watchable one that I can certainly recommend to trans folk and trans allies.
Not sure where else it may be available, but I watched
She's A Boy I Knew using amazon.com's video service, $4.95 to rent for 7 days, $12.99 to buy.
