Black and White

This short film (which the director calls a “pilot documentary”) is part biography of intersex activist Mani Bruce Mitchell, whose birth in 1953 in New Zealand caused quite a stir, and part “behind-the-scenes” look at Mani's creative collaboration with photographer Rebecca Swan to pull together hundreds of images from around the world to help people understand the concept of fluid gender identity. In addition to interviews with the warm and frank Mani and a few words from Swan, filmmaker Kirsty MacDonald includes some artistic elements (archival slides, Super 8 footage, stop-motion animation) to help tell Mani's story and visually render her odd journey as a child (she was “Bruce” her first year when doctors detected a small penis, then subsequently renamed “Ruth” and deemed female after an exploratory operation discovered a uterus). Black and White explores interesting subjects—both the topic of intersexuality and Mani herself—but given the brief treatment here, viewers may wish to wait for the full documentary. Recommended for comprehensive GLBT collections; a strong optional purchase elsewhere. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)