By Phoebe Hart
Gen X filmmaker Phoebe Hart always knew she was different growing up ¨C but she didn't know why. This award-winning documentary traces Phoebe's voyage of self-discovery as an intersex person, a group of conditions formerly termed hermaphroditism. Learning only in her teens that she was born with 46XY (male) chromosomes, Hart now seeks to understand her own story and the stories of others affected by this complex and often shameful syndrome.
With help from sister Bonnie (also born with the same condition) and support from partner James, Hart drives across Australia, interviewing individuals whose struggles and victories mirror and differ from her own. Some advocate systemic change ending shame and controversial genital surgeries, while others debate coming out or staying closeted with a stigmatized secret. Questioning rigidly defined constructs of gender, sexuality, and normality, often with lively good humor, ORCHIDS is the first film to look at intersex from a positive perspective. Its engaging portrait of survival, courage and reconciliation will speak to a variety of audiences and spark lively discussion about what it means to be perceived as "different."
Reviews
~ "The filmmaker's warmth and candor provide an engaging perspective on intersex identity and one family's changing attitude toward their 'secret.'" - Patricia White, Film and Media Studies, Swarthmore College
~ "Winner of the Australian Teachers of Media's ATOM Award for best documentary, Hart's work took years to complete and makes for compelling viewing. It blends a history of her condition with her own experience and stories from other intersex people she seeks out to help her understand." - Katherine Feeney, Brisbane Times
~ "Personally I could not imagine a better film ever being made on coming to terms with a condition like AIS. It's wildly funny in parts but at the same time it's very intimate and deeply moving. I can't stop thinking about it." - Professor Garry Warne, AM, Senior Endocrinologist, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Awards
~ Winner, Australian Teachers of Media's ATOM Award for Best Documentary
~ Brisbane International Film Festival, Winner, Best Documentary
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