Transgender issues have taken centre stage at Venice Film Festival this year, with Italian director Emanuele Crialese even using platform to reveal he was born a woman as he presented his new film starring Penelope Cruz.

Revelation by Crialese came at a press conference for his new film, L’Immensita, which is inspired by his difficult adolescence. “It is inspired by my childhood and my own story,” said Crialese, whose last film, Terraferma, won Special Jury Price at Venice in 2011. “I was born biologically a woman, but that does not mean that I don’t have in me a huge part (that is a) female character.

That is probably best part of me,” he said, speaking publicly for first time about his transition. “At a certain point, I had to make a choice of whether to live or to die. You don’t choose to make that sort of journey. You are born that way,” he added.–Agencies

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 07 2022

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