Soy niño

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Note of intent

I want to question our relationship to gender, to norms, to the unconditional love we can give to a human being. Confronted with a process of transformation in my own family, I draw on my unique relationship with David in order to reach and understand his experience. What is at stake for him? Who was he before declaring his identity as a man? How does David’s story move and trouble us? I hope that my film contributes to a greater comprehension of what it means to be “trans” today.

Synopsis

At the age of 12, Andrea decided to become David. His parents no longer had a daughter, mine no longer had a niece, and I had a new cousin. David reassured us, explained that he had always been a boy, but in a body that wasn’t his. Today, David is 18. His masculine body has developed through the effects of testosterone. He is a gentle and happy teenager, beset by teenager concerns and by those implied by his new identity. Each in their own way, the people around him manage their convictions, apprehensions and questions. His parents’ initial despairwas quickly transformed into a militant defense of LGBT rights. At school, students and teachers accept David. He is preparing to become a physical education teacher, to help others accept and care for their bodies.

Visual concept

Above all, I want to generate empathy for David, in order to deepen our awareness of his experience. I follow him in everyday life, and we have a very close relationship. I am both his cousin and the film director, and my presence in the film is accepted and voluntary. I film in direct cinema but I also film seated interviews to open up the points of view of other protagonists (family, friends, doctors, lawyers). I also use image-archives (photos and videos) to portray Andrea’s childhood.