Transition

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Available Summary:

"Filmmaker Jordan Bryon from Australia is followed as he goes through a transformation while working with Taliban soldiers." -IMDb.

Jack's Summary:

To manage your expectations, this documentary does not profile Afghan or Iranian trans and gender diverse people, which I had hoped it might. That said, given the circumstances it was filmed in, the film's focus makes sense, and this is still one of the most unique documentaries you will ever watch. I was happy to see an Arab trans person appear, albeit briefly, towards the end of the documentary, after having top surgery.

At the beginning of the documentary, Jordan Bryon, a 39-year-old Australian trans male reporter employed by the New York Times, is living and working in Afghanistan. It is one year before the Taliban take control of Kabul, and he has just begun testosterone thanks to a doctor he describes as "a fantastic human being, very open-minded, very progressive," who has prior experience with the gender diverse community in Afghanistan.

When Kiana Hayeri, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist who travels with Jordan, later asks the doctor about this community experience, however, he firmly says that he has only ever met one trans person; Jordan. The three of them, gathered around a table after Jordan's testosterone injection, discuss whether the doctor intends to flee Afghanistan, or whether he will stay. He states that he will stay despite being afraid, but that silence is very important and he needs to live carefully, otherwise he will be "disappeared".

Jordan, accompanied by Afghan journalist Farzad Fetrat (Teddy), asks a Taliban commander for permisson to live alongside a Taliban fighter unit for a period of time, to film them as a journalist. For context, at this time the Taliban were establishing severe laws preventing the free movement and expression of women, making the stakes incredibly high for Jordan, given that he joined the unit prior to top surgery, had to bind 24/7 around the Taliban, and had not been on testosterone for long.

"I am absolutely playing with fire, every time I go to the village," Jordan explains, "If the Talibs knew about my physiology, that I have breasts packed under this binder, that my bottom half... was my bottom half... I mean, it's absolutely possible that they would kill me." He tells Teddy that, if he is found out as a trans man, Teddy must pretend that he did not know, because he risks being killed as well.

Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri, who is shown interviewing women and girls following the Taliban's takeover, becomes intensely worried about Jordan throughout the documentary. "As a trans man, you ending up in a prison cell scares the fuck out of me," she tells him, "And it's not only me. It's going to be Brianna, it's going to be your mum, your dad, anybody who loves you." Despite their shared concerns, he stays in Afghanistan and continues living among the Taliban.

Throughout the documentary, Jordan is conflicted by how normal Taliban fighters seem while he is living alongside them, struggling to pair that sense of friendliness with the acts (and threats) of violence that he witnesses. "Going to the village is always so mind-bending," he says, "Last time I was there, a villager was asking why I don't have a beard. And one of the Talibs said, 'There's more to being a man than having a beard. Manhood comes from within'. And then the same Talib, moments later, said that, if he heard a woman's voice coming from the kitchen when there were male guests around, he'd cut her throat." Compared to such extreme danger, Jordan's transition-related steps seem far less stressful, from starting testosterone to having his mastectomy.

I really loved the glimpses into normal conversations and casual interactions, where they were able to be found amongst the more extreme realities of 2021 in Afghanistan. A young Afghan woman, Kiana's interviewee, asks about Jordan, wondering if he is a journalist. Smiling, Kiana confirms that he is, and says, "What else? Do you have another question? You can ask anything you want." The woman admits, "I was wondering if they're a male or female? I was confused about what I should say." She then says that she thinks Jordan is male, happily smiling all the while. I found this interaction utterly beautiful. I would love a follow-up documentary where Kiana and Jordan (a few years into his transition by now) interview Arab trans and gender-diverse people.

The rest of the documentary, honestly, is worth watching for the full picture of what happens with Jordan, Teddy, and Kiana. I don't think I can do this film justice with my summary.

WARNING: Unsafe chest binding.

Obviously, Jordan is not able to take off his chest binder around the Taliban fighters. He is shown removing his binder when in the privacy of his own home, grimacing in pain and inspecting his torso in the mirror. This documentary does not glorify unsafe chest binding, unlike other documentaries, and I have no problem with how binding is depicted in such a unique situation, where passing meant staying alive. I appreciated that he is filmed removing his binder, clearly experiencing discomfort, so that viewers at least consider the physical consequences of being bound for so long.