There’s still time to have a movie marathon this Genderfluid Visibility Week
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGES BY NETFLIX, STUDIOCANAL UK AND SONY PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
Genderfluid representation in the media is a rare thing, but there are many films showcasing the gender spectrum on the silver screen. From historical fantasies to coming-of-age dramas, here are three films to add to your watchlist this Genderfluid Visibility Week.
Nimona (2023)
This film was possibly one of the best from the last year, let alone for genderfluid representation. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, the fantasy adaptation of ND Stevenson’s graphic novel is a beautiful exploration of what it means to be different from those around you.
When the first working-class knight in a medieval-futuristic kingdom, Ballister, is accused of killing the Queen, he combines forces with a shapeshifting teenager named Nimona to clear his name. Throughout the film, the teen takes any opportunity to shapeshift into different forms, often verbally reminding Ballister and the audience that they are not a girl unless they choose to be. It’s a constant conversation between Nimona and Ballister, prompting the former to reveal that they shapeshift because it simply doesn’t feel right to sit in one body or one label. They exist across a spectrum of identities and won’t pretend otherwise.
As an added bonus, the film also features an incredibly wholesome gay romance between Ballister and another knight, voiced by queer icon, Eugene Lee Yang!
Orlando (1992)
Tilda Swinton stars in this period fantasy drama. It’s based on a book of the same name by sapphic author Virginia Woolf and tells the story of an immortal nobleman who, one day, wakes up as a woman.
Orlando is full of genderfluid moments and, much like Nimona, both the book and film feature lines that highlight the main character as someone who exists outside of gender. Neither the male nor the female body is considered wrong for Orlando, rather they are constantly “the same person, no difference at all,” regardless of the sex of their body.
The Kings Of Summer (2013)
Who doesn’t love a summer coming-of-age movie? This one from the early 2010s sees three teenagers run away to live in the woods, in the hopes of escaping their dysfunctional families. Soon, they find their utopia is deeply isolating.
Moisés Arias plays Biaggio, the comic relief of the film and a genderfluid character. In one touching moment, Biaggio reveals: “I don’t really see myself as having a gender.” It’s a sweet scene and just as beautiful as the sweeping woods that surround the group.
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