1. Women in Film
Week 10

2. XXY
Directed by Lucía Puenzo, based on the short story “Cinismo” written by her husband, Sergio Bizzio
She is the daughter of famous Argentine filmmaker Luis Puenzo, who directed Argentina’s 1985 Oscar winning film La historia oficial.

3. What is Intersex?
“’Intersex’ is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with atypical reproductive or sexual anatomy” (Tamar-Mattis 69).
The medical community typically treats this as a “social emergency” and conducts surgery to reshape the child’s genitals (Tamar-Mattis 69-70).
The realities of these kinds of atypical anatomies are far more complex than simply being labeled “hermaphrodite.” (See Page 69 for a few descriptions).
Alex’s condition is not clinically “correct” in being labeled XXY, but the director chose to use the title for its symbolic evocations rather than its clinical accuracy.

4. Alex as a typical teenager
She has similar anxieties about puberty, sex, and growing up as most teenagers do.
She smokes, drinks, and provokes her parents, just like most teenagers do.
She is awkward about her identity, just like most teenagers.

5. Themes specific to being an intersex teenager
She is repeatedly told she is “special” but that she must keep her condition a secret.
She is tired of switching schools and tired of having to take medication to control and adjust her hormones.
Alex’s father has worked hard all her life to protect her. Now that puberty is hitting, her parents are beginning to disagree about whether or not to let Alex choose, what, if anything, she does about her “condition.”

6. Threat of Rape
The boys from town who have discovered her secret and try to rape her. At first “just to see” and later to force themselves upon her.
Vando, the friend Alex punched comes to her rescue.
Threat of rape, although particularly sensitive for intersex teens who are raised to feel ashamed or afraid of their bodies, is devastating for anyone, regardless of gender or biology.

7. The possibilities for leading a happy, healthy, “normal” life
The film gives us an example of an adult intersex person who regretted his parent’s decision to operate on him to become “female” so he later had reassignment surgery to become “male.”
This character warns Kraken “making your child afraid of her own body is the worst thing you can do to her.”
However, this example still assumes heteronormativity (heterosexual nuclear family) as being the prescription for happiness.
The film does not address social factors such as the omnipresence of “male” and “female” categories (as in public restrooms).
There is an inherent conflict between Alex’s desires, and the desires each of her parents has to ensure she is happy.

8. Teen Romance
In the short story, Alvaro’s father thinks he is gay. It is implied that this would be completely unacceptable for him.
Alex and Alvaro are awkward about their attraction.
Alex states she is a virgin. Although Alvaro is older, he is not presented as being very experienced sexually, and presumably not in terms of anal penetration. It can be inferred that their experience is, to some degree, the first time for both of them.
Although the scene and its aftermath are depicted as being slightly traumatic, they both admit they enjoyed it.