In the Flesh

Meet Rose, Mirha, Peter, and Chris, four transsexuals whose stories comprise this rather artsy National Film Board of Canada production. Unaccompanied by narration or the voice of an interviewer, these folks speak frankly about sexuality, relationships, family, and self, exploring traditional assumptions about gender and what happens when a person's inner sense of identity conflicts with society's expectations. Viewers will learn, for instance, that female-to-male transsexuals often find it easier to assimilate into society than male-to-female transsexuals; that transsexuals need lots of support during and after the various phases of their surgery; and that some families could more easily accept their children committing murder than having a sex change. What we don't learn are the mechanics of the operations; where one can go for treatment; or even what percentage of the population are transsexuals. In other words, the tape could provide inspiration and support to people and their loved ones who find themselves in this situation, but would not be particularly helpful for informational purposes or homework assignments--especially considering its nudity and raw language. And seeing that the inspirational side is encumbered by countless well-filmed-but-unnecessary scenes of people driving around in cars, cabs, and trains, attending drag shows, buying hot dogs from street vendors, and showing off their performance art, this video really is only moderately recommended even for its intended audience. I understand artistic tone and ambiance, and the goal of presenting transsexuals as people engaged in everyday activities, but this program needed to concentrate more on flat fact and less on artistic luxury. Not a necessary purchase. A better choice here would be You Don't Know Dick (VL-1/99). Aud: C, P. (K. Glaser)