Boy I Am | Dir. Sam Feder and Julie Hollar | 70min | USA | 2006 | English
While female-to-male transgender visibility has recently exploded in this country, conversations about trans issues in the lesbian community often run into resistance from the many queer women who view transitioning as a "trend" or as an anti-feminist act that taps into male privilege. BOY I AM is a feature-length documentary that begins to break down that barrier and promote dialogue about trans issues through a look at the experiences of three young transitioning FTMs in New York City—Nicco, Norie and Keegan—as they go through major junctures in their transitions, as well as through the voices of lesbians, activists, and theorists who raise and address the questions that many people have but few openly discuss.
Is transitioning a trend? Is it healthy? Anti-feminist? What does it mean for a young person in the lesbian
community to become male, both for themselves and for the community? And how are these questions
affected by race and class?
The film’s historical framework insists on a coherent, patient, and inclusive discussion that concentrates on a range of gendered experience. Situating these struggles and stories in the context of queer and feminist struggles, BOY I AM presents an empowering chronicle of queer resistance that challenges all viewers to rethink their concepts of activism and identity.
Q&A with director Sam Feder