Born to Be follows the work of Dr. Jess Ting (he/him) at the groundbreaking Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. There, for the first time ever in New York City, transgender and gender non-binary people have access to quality gender-affirming care. With extraordinary access, this remarkable documentary offers an intimate look at how one doctor’s work impacts the lives of his patients as well as how his journey from renowned plastic surgeon to pioneering gender-affirming specialist has led to his own transformation.
Dr. Ting's patients are as diverse as the city itself. Cashmere (she/her), decades sober and with a zest for life, offers an invaluable queer history lesson as she looks back on the tumultuous existence she once led on the streets of New York. Jordan (they/them) is non-binary and, with their nurturing partner by their side, finally has the support they need to take the next step in their transition. The loquacious Garnet (she/her) moved to New York City to transition and has the full support of her family, but still struggles with depression. Shawn (he/him) signed up for a new type of gender-affirming surgery pioneered by Dr. Ting with the help of brave patients like him. And heart- and scene-stealer Mahogany (she/her) was once a successful male model, but sacrificed her career to begin life as the woman she is. Through their stories, their joys and hardships, the film addresses the nuances and complexities of gender, exploring key issues around the human right to define gender for oneself.
Tânia Cypriano has been working between the United States and her native Brazil for over 20 years. Her films and videos have won international awards including Best Documentary at the Joseph Papp's Festival Latino in New York, the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Art Institute Int'l Film Festival and Fespaco in Burkina Faso. They have also been shown around the world in places such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Hong Kong Arts Center, the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Amsterdam Documentary Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. Her television credits include working on documentaries for PBS, the History Channel, NHK in Japan, GNT in Brazil and Channel 4 in England. Tânia Cypriano has also been a grant recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Soros Documentary Fund, the Jerome Foundation, Experimental Television, and the National Latino Communication Center.
