Who I Am Not: Frameline 2022/23 Completion Fund Spotlight

Who I Am Not
Directed by Tünde Skovrán · Romania/Canada/Germany/South Africa/USA · 105 mins

A beauty queen and an activist—both born male and female within one single body—break the silence that comes with being intersex through a personal and intimate shared exploration of truth, faith, and belonging. Executive produced by Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette and Marc Smolowitz (The Weather Underground). View Trailer Below:

Who I Am Not will have its first four public screenings in March. The film will have its world premiere at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in Greece, before making its North American premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. It will also screen at BFI Flare in London as the Centerpiece Presentation and at CPH:DOX in Denmark.

Tünde Skovrán, director: “My interest in the topic was sparked some years ago as I was following the international news story of a female South African runner who had never failed a doping test, but was barred from competing, and forced to take medication to alter her natural hormone levels in order to compete again. It shocked me that those born with anatomies that challenge society are forced to change their bodies in order to accommodate those of us who cannot change our minds. The runner’s story took me to South Africa, where I met the protagonists of Who I Am Not. I recognized that their personal fight for wholeness and their passion to share the most intimate aspects of their lives had the power that would inspire real change.”

Patricia Arquette, executive producer: “Who I Am Not is a very important film. The subjects in the film are heartbreakingly honest as they take us through their journeys of overcoming insurmountable challenges in the quest for self-love and societal acceptance. While many people know the term LGBTQIA, they may not understand that the “I” stands for “Intersex.” It’s not a gender identity, it’s a biological reality. Intersex variations are a natural part of human diversity. It is estimated that almost 2% of people worldwide are born intersex. This important film illuminates the often underexamined sector of the population with love, hope, dignity, and respect. Who I Am Not teaches us the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of love and acceptance.” 

Tünde Skovrán was born in Transylvania, Romania. For her work as a film and theater actress, she received various national and international awards. Her name as a filmmaker is associated with many shorts that traveled the world and won best film awards at fests in Montreal, Tirana, Beijing, etc. Little Snail, the short she directed, was an official selection at international festivals in the US, Italy, and Australia. Who I Am Not marks her debut as a feature film director.