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They

They

2018

Not Rated

Director

Anahita Ghazvinizadeh

Runtime

80 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

J is in their early teens and lives in the countryside. J has been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder, goes by the selected pronoun “they”, and takes hormone blockers to suspend puberty. While J’s parents are away, their older sister and her Iranian boyfriend are assigned the duties of house-sitting and looking after J.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.8/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Excellent

The film offers exceptional representation by centering a non-binary protagonist who uses they/them pronouns. It treats gender identity as the central axis of the story rather than a peripheral subplot.

Gender Representation

Good

By focusing on a character existing outside the binary, the film challenges traditional gender hierarchies. It prioritizes the protagonist's autonomy over conventional societal expectations of biological development.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The inclusion of an Iranian boyfriend adds a layer of ethnic diversity to the domestic setting. This presence expands the narrative's cultural texture within a contemporary drama.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The story engages with themes of bodily autonomy and subjective morality. It frames the protagonist's medical journey as a valid pursuit of selfhood against conventional social norms.

Disability Representation

Good

The film addresses mental health and neurodivergence through the lens of Gender Identity Disorder. The protagonist manages their condition with significant agency rather than as a passive tragedy.

Strengths

  • Exceptional centering of non-binary identity and the use of they/them pronouns.
  • Sophisticated exploration of medical agency and gender-affirming transitions.
  • Effective subversion of traditional coming-of-age and cisnormative developmental milestones.

Areas for Improvement

  • Secondary characters provide a domestic backdrop but remain less central to the core identity themes.
  • The focus on ethnic diversity is meaningful but remains secondary to the gender-focused narrative.

AI Analysis

Anahita Ghazvinizadeh’s film is a sophisticated study of identity, centering on a non-binary adolescent navigating the complexities of gender dysphoria. By focusing on the protagonist's use of hormone blockers and they/them pronouns, the narrative moves beyond simple visibility to explore the agency required for medical and social transition. The film successfully disrupts heteronormative tropes by making the character's internal experience the primary driver of the plot. While the domestic setting includes diverse secondary characters, such as an Iranian boyfriend, the core strength lies in its intentionality regarding non-binary lived experiences. Overall, the work provides a nuanced look at how individuals navigate identity during puberty. It challenges institutionalized views of biological development by prioritizing the protagonist's personal truth and bodily autonomy.

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