XXY (2007)

Director:

Lucía Puenzo

Writers:

Sergio Bizzio (short story "Cinismo")
Lucía Puenzo (writer)

Release Date:

2 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This is the dramatic story of a 15-year-old hermaphrodite. She lives with her parents, who have to cope with the challenges of her medical condition. |

Plot Keywords:

Bicycle | Homophobia | Coastal Village | Ambiguous Ending | Gay Interest

Awards:

17 wins & 11 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Ricardo Darín	...	Kraken
Valeria Bertuccelli	...	Suli
Germán Palacios	...	Ramiro
Carolina Pelleritti	...	Erika
Martín Piroyansky	...	Alvaro
Inés Efron	...	Alex
Guillermo Angelelli	...	Juan
César Troncoso	...	Washington
Jean Pierre Reguerraz	...	Esteban
Ailín Salas	...	Roberta
Luciano Nóbile	...	Vando
Lucas Escariz	...	Saul

Also Known As:

XXY (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Argentina | France | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A | Hungary:16 | Germany:12 | Australia:MA (2008) | Belgium:KT | Norway:11 | Ireland:16 | France:Unrated (with warning) | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | UK:15 | Taiwan:R-18

Filming Locations:

Piriápolis, Maldonado, Uruguay

Company:

Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania

Trivia:

On September 27, 2007, XXY was chosen to represent Argentina at the Oscars, for the Best Foreign Language Film category. In a rare sweep, it was also chosen to represent Argentina at Spain's Goya Awards, for Best Foreign Film in Spanish. The tradition has been for two separate films to be sent to one of the awards each. The runner-up this year, in both cases, was Señal, La (2007), also starring (and co-directed by) Ricardo Darín.

An unusual coming-of-age

Hermaphrodites or intersexuals,as they are called today - imho a slightly pejorative expression - are a rare theme in contemporary art; I can only think of Euginides book "Middlesex". The more it is surprising,that "XXY" comes from Argentine, a country not especially prominent in modern gender discourses. But Luisa Puenza impresses in her first feature film with a sensibility and open-mindedness,which will last in the memory for a long time.Puberty is always a difficult state between two identities: Not longer a child and not yet an adult.For the main protagonist Alex that problem doubles,because for her there is also the question of her future sexual identity.Society demands a clear decision.Like the language,which cannot find an expression for his/her existence - the adults alternately speak of "her" or "him" -, so the medicine aims at subjecting everyone to its sexual bipolarity. With witty dialogs and panache the film proclaims the right of being different and of searching one's own sexual niche. But luckily it's far from being dogmatic or didactic.It also understands the position of the parents to give their child a kind of shelter and save it from the confrontation with society.What the film openly criticizes are the operations, or should I better say amputations shortly after birth. The acting is generally fine, especially by Efron("Glue") and Darin.The missing star is the result of little flaws: In some places it too symbolically conceived: It takes place at the coast,which combines land and water; the father working as a marine biologist for sea turtles,whose sex cannot be defined from outside.Such clear hints wouldn't have been necessary. Luckily in our modern advanced society it is for an individual easier possible to define its own "normality" and fight for it, though it will be a lifelong fight.The film shows that in a way encouraging the viewers.