Born to Be (film) explained

Director:Tania Cypriano
Producer:Michelle Koo Hayashi
Music:Troy Herion
Cinematography:Jeffrey Johnson
Editing:Scott K. Foley
Christopher White
Studio:Transformation Productions LLC
Distributor:Kino Lorber
Runtime:92 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English

Born to Be (also known as Transformation) is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Tania Cypriano.[1] The film follows a doctor who strives to give transgender people full access to health and surgical care.

It premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 28, 2019, and is scheduled to be released online on November 18, 2020.[2]

Premise

Born to Be follows the work of Dr. Jess Ting at the groundbreaking Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in New York City-where, for the first time ever, all transgender and gender non-conforming people have access to quality transition-related health and surgical care. With extraordinary access, this feature-length documentary takes an intimate look at how one doctor's work impacts the lives of his patients as well as how his journey from renowned plastic surgeon to pioneering gender-affirming surgeon has led to his own transformation.

Production

The film was shot in New York City, New York, United States.

Release

The film is scheduled to be released online by Kino Lorber on November 18, 2020.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on critic reviews, with an average rating of .[3] Norman Gidney of Film Threat scored the film 7/10 and said "Born To Be humanizes what it is to be trans and makes the struggle something you can feel."[4] Variety's Owen Gleiberman reviewed the film positively, saying that it is "A moving and fascinatingly forward-looking documentary."[5]

Accolades

!Year!Organizations!Category!Nominee(s)!Result
2020DocAviv Film FestivalPanorama AwardTania Cypriano
Hong Kong International Film FestivalGolden Firebird Award - DocumentaryBorn to Be
Nashville Film FestivalBest Documentary FeatureBorn to Be

References

  1. Web site: Scheck. Frank. October 8, 2019. 'Born to Be': Film Review NYFF 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191011183836/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/born-be-1246228 . 2019-10-11 . November 9, 2020. The Hollywood Reporter.
  2. Web site: Dry. Jude. October 29, 2020. 'Born to Be' Trailer: Sensitive Documentary About Transgender Surgery Pioneer. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101003731/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/born-to-be-trailer-documentary-transgender-surgery-lgbtq-1234595992/ . 2020-11-01 . November 9, 2020. IndieWire.
  3. Web site: Born to Be (2020). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. . https://web.archive.org/web/20201113211948/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/born_to_be . 2020-11-13 . live.
  4. Web site: Gidney. Norman. September 28, 2020. Born to Be. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201003081955/https://filmthreat.com/reviews/born-to-be/ . 2020-10-03 . November 9, 2020. Film Threat.
  5. Web site: Gleiberman. Owen. October 2, 2019. 'Born to Be' Review: A Trans Documentary That Shows Us the Future. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191003074445/https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/born-to-be-review-1203356087/ . 2019-10-03 . November 9, 2020. Variety.