Written and directed by Viviane D’Avilla, a portrait of Intersex individuals born with sex anatomy not typically male or female, across India, Brazil, and the USA. Following the ongoing human rights struggle against non-consensual surgeries performed on intersex children, while confronting the rigid binaries that shape our understanding of sex and gender. Featuring: Hida Viloria, Carolina Iara, Aanandh Rajappan, Lyss Ball and Tiger Devore.
The key element which stands out in the way that Viviane D’Avilla tells the story of Let Us Be is its positivity and celebration of Intersex individuals. The entire documentary centres itself around acceptance and understanding. While that might sound obvious, or that it’s a given, it’s not. There are many roads to tell this story, and a lot of filmmakers might choose to get into the nitty gritty of surgeries, the trauma of childhood and bullying, or fractured family relationships, D’Avilla does not.
At no point does D’Avilla feel a need to delve into the details of the physical side of being Intersex, which was appreciated, as it’s typically only prejudiced viewers who want to hear about that aspect of the experience. The focus remains on how these subjects have used their lives to raise awareness of the Intersex experience and highlight the obstacles when it comes to bureaucracy and societal pressures. It’s great to see that perspective across different cultures and continents, to see how the differences and similarities of the experience.
It’s meaningful to see them really explain how valuable and vital it is to let children naturally grow into their bodies before forcing any preconceived ideas of sex and gender upon them and having open conversations with them about being Intersex. As well as how it creates a much healthier, both physically and mentally, experience for them. That really is a lesson for almost every issue, simply being open and honest as a family, and facing things together. Rather than the parents making decisions in early life and causing possibly irreparable damage to their relationship with their child.
Let Us Be chose wonderful, inspiring subjects who use their voices for good and relentlessly fight for the community, both as Intersex and queer individuals. Viviane D’Avilla highlights how a severe lack of information, and societal pressures, can completely alter the experience for Intersex individuals, resulting in unnecessary surgeries or hormone treatments. When in fact all those children need is a supportive, compassionate environment, to be given the space to figure out who they are. These subjects are the perfect example of that, and they communicate all of these issues in such a positive, kind, informative and gentle way. It’s a perfect reminder of how much progress still needs to be made in creating space for Intersex people, as they’re so often misunderstood.
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