Unbecoming

Available Summary:

"We all try to be something, to become someone. Unbecoming chronicles the life of Logan, as he fights to “unbecome” everything he’s been until now, that wasn’t really him in the first place, as we follow his story from early childhood, to a traumatic adolescence, and beyond." -Vimeo.

Jack's Summary:

I highly, highly recommend watching this film. With a runtime of less than 20 minutes, it has more worth and emotional weight than many feature documentaries. However, there are some serious trigger warnings to be aware of.

The documentary opens with Logan’s morning routine, which involves someone assisting him so that he can wear a binder. We are then shown footage of Logan as a child, pre-transition, while he explains that he was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, meaning he's more comfortable and mobile in a wheelchair.

He goes on to talk about his gender journey, including realising that he wanted to transition at seventeen years of age. He chats with a hairdresser about being excited to start testosterone, smiling happily as he describes the positive experience of being called a young man.

We meet Logan's mother, who goes through childhood pictures with Logan and talks with him about his choice to medically transition. Though she has some concerns and worries about him using testosterone, she says that she supports him and trusts him to make the right choices. Logan describes how his relationship with his mother has become strained, due to his rejection of femininity and stereotypical mother-daughter bonding activities.

One of my favourite parts of this delightful, beautiful, amazing documentary is hearing Logan talk about bonding with his father, and listening to Logan's father talk about his son. Despite never meeting any other trans people prior to his son coming out, he completely supports him. He tears up, beginning to cry as he praises Logan's patience and guidance. Logan, sitting nearby, starts crying as well.

Logan discusses being physically and sexually abused by his teacher when he was only fourteen-years-of-age. He emphasises that he is not trans because of his trauma, and this is echoed by Logan's father, who says, "His coming out as trans is just one facet of who Logan is. Logan is a visible minority, he is a person with a physical disability, he is a person with learning disabilities, he is a survivor."

I am so thankful that Logan shared his story, and that cis filmmaker Navid Mashayekhi made this short documentary possible.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Unbecoming has been taken down, and I can't find it anywhere now.