They and Them

Ingrid Kamerling / Netherlands / 2023 / Czech Premiere / 77 min.

synopsis

The film offers a detailed insight into the operation of a Dutch clinic dedicated exclusively to genderqueer people and people interested in transition, especially adolescents. They can access treatment and official gender reassignment upon referral from the clinic's team. But watching their daily struggles reveals just how complicated gender issues are. The gender identity of the team members themselves influences individual decisions and is a source of internal strife – is it necessary to include their pronouns in e-mail signatures? How should the irreversibility of physical transition be explained to teenagers? And is it ethical to allow hormone therapy for a person with an intelligence disorder?

“[The film] will also be used for school and psychologist education and in hospitals for doctors, because there are a lot of doctors and psychologists who do not know enough about gender care. But first we’ll do the impact campaign with television, and then the discussion will really start. Hopefully in a good way.” – Ingrid Kamerling

biography

Dutch documentary filmmaker Ingrid Kamerling (1981) has a degree in audiovisual studies, journalism and psychology. Her work often focuses on topics based on her studies in psychology and current social issues. Her debut film Sounds for Mazin (2012) was awarded at the IDFA in Amsterdam.