COBY

France/US, 2017, 82 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Christian Sonderegger.

This is a brief documentary, a true story, about a young woman and her transgender journey into being a man.

A French team, interested in medical and psychological issues, photographed the central character over the period of the year in 2010-2011. The setting is a country town in Ohio, with the Hunt family, mother and father who home-schooled their children and did not allow television, their daughter Susanna and an older brother. At school, Susanna found an attraction to girls, thought she was lesbian, the family coming to accept this.

However, she became interested in becoming a transgender person.

The film is framed with home movie interviews with the transitioning Susanna, becoming more masculine, deepening her voice, reassuring those to whom she was speaking. However, the film itself moves backwards and forwards, photos of Susanna as a girl, interviews in the period of transition, often leaping forward to the man, Jacob, calling himself Coby, the removal of his breasts, testosterone treatment, increasing hair on his body including a unit. Is also seen working as a paramedic for which he did a year’s training and discussing gender issues and female sensitivityies with the two women he works with.

Coby becomes quite forceful figure. Always assisting is his friend, Sarah, sharing with him each step of the way – though, interestingly, raising the issue of children, not wanting to carry a child, be pregnant, which means that Coby, who still has a womb, could carry a child. There is much discussion of this issue and he opts for hysterectomy.

There are very interesting interviews with the parents as well as the older brother. The mother has done a lot of study of the issues and, eventually, offers a very understanding perspective. The father is very perceptive in his understanding, reflecting on what the whole experience has meant and how it can support his son, the memories of the daughter, being proud of his son.

In transgender issues, males becoming females is generally the central focus. This is a very interesting study of a woman becoming a man, the medical requirements, the physiological changes, the transition to the psychology of a male.