City of Sydney and Queer Screen co-present this special Intersex Awareness Day screening of acclaimed documentary The Secret of Me, from director Grace Hughes-Hallett (producer of Three Identical Strangers).

What would you do if you discovered everything your parents had told you was a lie? In 1995 Louisiana, when Jim Ambrose was 19 years old, he discovered he was intersex. Demanding to see his medical records, he was confronted with the devastating truth: as a newborn, doctors convinced his parents he should undergo a series of invasive surgeries and be raised as a girl without his knowledge. Seeking out answers, Jim discovered the burgeoning American intersex rights movement, and found community amongst queer activists in San Francisco.

Intertwined with Jim’s journey of discovery is an exploration of an extraordinary and disturbing psychological experiment performed on a pair of twins in the 1960s, the results of which have been used to justify thousands of unnecessary surgical procedures on children around the world. Featuring prominent intersex activists including Bo Laurent and Tiger Devore, this deeply empathetic – and ultimately uplifting – film is both a celebration of the power of finding community, and call to arms in the ongoing fight for bodily autonomy for intersex people everywhere.

Content advisory: this film contains discussions of medical malpractice and genital surgeries performed on minors without consent, the use of anti-intersex slurs, and references to child sexual abuse and suicide.

Intersex Awareness Day marks the anniversary of the first public demonstration by intersex people in North America in 1996, and was created to raise awareness of human rights issues facing intersex people, and promote understanding, respect and inclusion for intersex people.

Tickets are FREE and include a free choc-top on arrival, but bookings are essential as space is limited.

“An intricate, shocking, and deeply affecting documentary … one joyful archival video of the first gathering of intersex folks in North America, led by the film’s third key character, Bo Laurent, courses with the profound serotonin rush of feeling seen.” – IndieWire

“It’s a film of righteous fury, told through a lens that creates intimate adoration for Jim, who — although his experiences and activism might make him seem heroic — is ultimately an average person just seeking closure and self-affirmation. Few things in cinema are more empathetic.” – Variety

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