Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Perhaps the most thought-provoking film screening at the 2023 New York Film Festival is Orlando, My Political Biography by Paul B. Preciado. Its unique approach and perspective rock the house. Screening in the Main Slate section of the festival in French with English subtitles, it’s a hybrid of documentary, fictional narrative and political, philosophical treatise.
With its great substance and depth the film bears seeing twice to digest the concepts, themes and sage commentary.
Virginia Woolf’s Prescient ‘Orlando’
Initially, Preciado magnifies Virginia Woolf as a prescient maverick for her time. When Woolf in her first novel Orlando created a character who changes sex, she anticipated the current trans movement. To acknowledge Woolf as a cultural forerunner, Preciado, a trans writer, activist and philosopher, created the film as a letter to her.
The film explores the character of Orlando as trans over 100 years later, living a life unimagined in Woolf’s time.
To explore Orlando as a symbolic parallel updated for today, Preciado organizes a casting call for the film. Next, he selects 26 contemporary trans and non-binary individuals. Importantly, these include people from eight to 70 years old. Finally, each embodies Orlando and when introduced, looks in the camera and states, “I am Orlando.” Then, a set dresser places a characteristic and humorous ruff (from the 1600s) around the present Orlando. This ruff bonds all the present Orlandos to Woolf’s character who moves through time.
Trans Lives Past and Present
In effect Preciado gives an informative perspective of trans lives past and present. He explores political issues surrounding gender, but prioritizes humanity. Rejecting stereotypes, he asks viewers to open their hearts and minds to receive his message. Primarily, it is that trans people have always lived as humans have lived, even when storytellers neglected to share their stories.
At times Preciado wanders from his message in attempting to center his presentation of Orlandos through history. Suggesting that Woolf created an “unintentional” novel of trans power, he elevates the novel’s message to one he can identify with. Thus, a key point he makes relates to Orlando losing hereditary titles and land because of becoming a woman. Likewise, for many trans people after they transitioned, their lives lost status.
Trans People Risk Their Lives to Establish Their Identities
In conclusion Preciado emphasizes that trans people risk their lives to attain the freedom to be who they are. They must confront laws, social history, perspectives about psychology and mental health and not be defined by them. Also, they must cast aside folkways about “normality, and family relationships. Declaring oneself a trans person establishes a political position, a bulwark of freedom. State definitions demean, oppress and destroy. At the very end of the film Preciado has a judge free his selected Orlandos.
Above all Preciado’s film is funny yet sober in affirming the humanity of trans individuals whose courage and freedom must be appreciated. For tickets to this moving, resonant film, visit the NYFF 2023 website.
