WHO I AM NOT

Who I Am Not

There is male, there is female,

and then, there is i

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About

SYNOPSIS
Sharon-Rose Khumalo, a South African beauty queen, plunges into an identity crisis after finding out she is intersex. In her quest to deal with gender dysphoria, she needs the guidance of somebody just like her.
The only person who will help is Dimakatso Sebidi, a masculine presenting intersex activist who turns out to be her complete opposite. The two parallel but divergent stories offer an intimate look at the struggle of living in a male-female world, when you are born in-between.

DIRECTOR

Tunde Skovran

Who I Am Not is my debut documentary and is more than just a film; it's a personal journey. When I first dove into the intricate world of the intersex community, it was like unearthing stories that had been waiting to be told. When I met Sharon (she/her), the first openly intersex beauty queen, through her eyes I felt the weight of emotions, struggles, and joys of those who exist beyond societal binaries.
Then there's Dimakatso (they/them), a beacon of hope for countless silent voices. Do you know that nearly 150 million intersex individuals exist worldwide? Dimakatso's passion for change, evident in initiatives like their Summer Camp for intersex children in South Africa, became a driving force behind our documentary. Their dedication is the kind of tangible change we wanted to spotlight.
But our journey was more than just about filming; it was about bonding. Over four incredible years, Sharon, Dimakatso, and I became storytellers together, blending our experiences and emotions. It was crucial for me to ensure they felt seen and heard.
This is why we delved into unique techniques like group therapy, psychodrama, and dream interpretation. These methods transformed our storytelling, adding layers of depth both visually and emotionally.
Speaking of visuals, Who I Am Not is a canvas painted with the actual dreams, raw emotions, and vulnerabilities of Sharon and Dimakatso. We wanted the audience to not just watch but feel, question, and introspect about their understanding of sex, gender, and identity.
The world has started noticing our tale. From international festivals to intimate screenings, every viewing sparks conversations and challenges age-old beliefs. Through this film, I want to shine a light on the 'I' in LGBTQIA+, reminding everyone that Intersex isn't just a concept but a beautiful biological reality.
In essence, Who I Am Not is both a deep dive into personal stories and a call to the world. It seeks to inform, and also to transform, urging society to embrace the full spectrum of human identity.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Patricia Arquette

Who I Am Not is a very important film. The subjects in the film are heartbreakingly honest as they take us through their journeys of overcoming insurmountable challenges in the quest for self-love and societal acceptance... Who I Am Not teaches us the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of love and acceptance.
..Who I Am Not shatters taboos…
… a hugely significant documentary… something that will be used in the coming years to educate people
BFI Flare
…an eye-opening lesson on humanity and identity… emotionally wrought and fascinating.
Reel News Daily
…a touching, humorous and deeply cathartic celebration of intersex life – for both its protagonists and for the audience.
Variety
Who I Am Not is a celebration of sorts… a call for empathy and understanding – in the end, difference is what you make of it.
Screen Daily

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AWARDS

Silver Alexander Award

International Competition, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival

Mermaid Award Best LGBTQ+ themed film

Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival

Women in Film & TV Association Award Greece to dir. Tünde Skovrán

Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival

Filmin’s New Talent Award

International Competition, DocsBarcelona

Silver Horn Award for High Artistic Value to dir. Tünde Skovrán

International Competition, Krakow Film Festival

Best Documentary “Being Oneself” Category

International Competition, Doc Edge Festival New Zealand

Audience Choice Award Best Feature Documentary 2023

Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Jury Prize for Diversity and Human Rights

Zinegoak Bilbao International LGBT Film and Performing Arts Festival

Lesbianism and Gender Award- Special Mention

Zinegoak Bilbao International LGBT Film and Performing Arts Festival

Best Feature Documentary Award

GAZE International LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Lili Award for Best Documentary

MIX COPENHAGEN LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Audience Award for Best Film

Pride Pictures Queer Film Festival Karlsruhe

QueerScope Debut Film Award for the Best Queer Movie of the Year

Bremen Queer Film Festival

Audience Award at Wicked Queer

The Boston LGBT Film Festival

Jury Prize for Best Documentary

Image+Nation Montreal LGBTQueer Film Festival

ECHT 2023 Queer Film Award

Braunschweig International Film Festival

“Goldene Perle” for Best Documentary at PERLEN

Queer Film Festival Hannover 2023

Audience Award “Golden Perle 2023”

at PERLEN- Queer Film Festival, Hannover 2023

Jury’s Special Mention

Joburg International Film Festival

Audience Award for Best Documentary – 2nd place

Pinkapple Film Festival

Young Vision Award

Millenium Documentary Film Festival – Brussels

Best Documentary Award

CinHomo Muestra Internacional de Cine y Diversidad Sexual – Castilla y Leon

Special Mention

SIMA Awards for Best Social Impact Campaign – USA

Shortlisted for Best European Documentary

European Film Academy

FESTIVAL PARTICIPATIONS

United States

SXSW – Documentary Spotlight Section- North American Premiere
Doc NYC – US East Coast Tri-States premiere
Frameline (San Francisco) – California South Bay premiere, Centerpiece presentation
Seattle Queer Film Festival
Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival
Provincetown International Film Festival
Crested Butte Film Festival
Atlanta Out on Film
Reel Affirmations, Washington DC
Pan African Film Festival – Los Angeles

United Kingdom

BFI Flare – UK Premiere, Centerpiece presentation
Afrika Eye Film Festival
Queer Vision Film Festival

Denmark

CPH:DOX – Denmark premiere, Highlights section
MIX Copenhagen

Spain

DocsBarcelona – Spain premiere, International Competition
Bilbao International LGBT Film Festival
CinHomo Muestra Internacional de Cine y Diversidad Sexual

Poland

Krakow Film Festival – Poland premiere, International Competition

Romania

Transilvania International Film Festival – Romania premiere, Supernova section
For You International Film Festival

Greece

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – World Premiere
CineDoc Festival

South Korea

Seoul International Pride Film Festival – South Korea premiere

Hungary

Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival – Hungary premiere

New Zealand

Doc Edge Festival – South Pacific premiere, Being Oneself section

Serbia

Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival – Serbia premiere

Sweden

Cinema Queer International Film Festival – Sweden premiere
Malmö Queer Film Festival

Finland

Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy – Finland premiere

Israel

TLVFest – Israel premiere

Germany

Queer Scope Hamburg – Germany premiere
Perlen – Queer Film Festival Hannover
Pride Pictures: Karlsruhe Queer Film Days
Queer Film Festival Bremen
Queer Film Festival Bremerhaven
Munich International Queer Film Festival (Munchen)
Queer Filmfest Weiterstadt
QueerFilmFest Rostock
Queerfilmfestival Esslingen
Queerstreifen Münster
Braunschweig International Film Festival
B3 Biennial of the Moving Image

Australia

Sydney Film Festival – Australia premiere
Melbourne Queer Film Festival

France

Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez – France premiere
Chéries-Chéris – Paris LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Les Rencontres de Figra- avant première

Ireland

Gaze LGBTQ Film Festival – Ireland premiere
Galway Film Fleadh

Italy

Gender Bender Festival – Italy premiere
Rome Independent Film Festival
Festival dei Popoli – International Documentary Film Festival

Czech Republic

Mezipatra Queer Film Festival – Czech Republic premiere

Portugal

Queer Lisboa – International Queer Film Festival – Portugal premiere

Norway

Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival – Norway premiere

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival – Hong Kong premiere

Switzerland

Everybody’s Perfect – Geneva International Queer Film Festival – Switzerland premiere
Pinkapple Film Festival

Cyprus

Queer Wave – Cyprus LGBTQ+ Film Festival – Cyprus premiere

Moldova

Queer Voices Film Festival- Moldova premiere

Belgium

Millenium International Documentary Film Festival- Belgium premiere

The Netherlands

Rose Filmdagen – Amsterdam Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

Canada

Image+Nation Montreal LGBTQueer Film Festival – Canadian premiere
Calgary Black Film Festival
Salt Spring Film Festival – British Columbia premiere
Toronto Black film Festival

South Africa

Joburg International Film Festival

Production Facts

Production Facts:
Duration: 103 min
Language: English, Sesotho, Sepedi, Xhosa, Sezulu, Tzonga, Tswana
Release: 2023
Age: Unrated
DIRECTOR-WRITER: Tünde Skovrán
PRODUCER (RO): Andrei Zincă
CO-PRODUCER (CA): Paul Cadieux
CO-PRODUCER: Patrick Hamm
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Patricia Arquette
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: M.J. Peckham
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Andrei Zincă
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Tünde Skovrán
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Marc Smolowitz
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jafta Mekgoe
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Danielle Turkov
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Maryse Rouillard
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Amy Shepherd
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Edith Weil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Dániel Szandtner
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: János Kovács
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Dániel Szandtner and Felix Striegel, Guillaume Beaudouin
EDITOR: Marianna Rudas HSE
ORIGINAL SCORE: Luc Sicard
SONGS: Bongesiwe Mabandla
Desiree
Brian Bibb
SOUND: Blaise Rival
Ádám Vadász
SOUND DESIGN: Martin Cadieux- Rouillard
Produced by
Double 4 Studios România, in co-production with Filmoption International (Canada), and in association with South Africa.

Developed with the support of:
The Dok.Incubator Workshop,
The Breathe Project,
Voxx Studios & Double 4 Studios (US),
Frameline Completion Fund & Docs-Up Fund
Region Normandie - Normandy For Peace
When East Meets West Pitching Forum, Trieste
European Works In Progress, Cologne
SEEFest Accelerator Program, Los Angeles

Endorsed by ISSA (Intersex South Africa).
US Publicist: Adam Segal – The 2050 Group; email: adam@the2050group.com
Social Impact Campaign: Think Film Impact Production
International Sales: Cat & Docs; email: Maelle@catndocs.com
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