“Transition”

Educational, political, and deeply personal, conflict documentarian Jordan Bryon‘s aptly titled “Transition” is a thoroughly fascinating film about gender constructs. With the help of co-director Monica Villamizar, Bryon tells his story of his New York Times assignment to embed himself with the Taliban while documenting the aftermath of the fall of Kabul. In itself stressful and terrifying, the assignment causes great intensity and fear. But what makes it even more complicated is the fact that Bryon is in the process of a gender transition.

The documentary is eye-opening in so many ways. It explores the different ways society treats the idea of gender, and there is a palpable danger that Bryon could be executed if the Taliban discovers that he was born a biological female. This gives the film an agonizing tension and real sense of peril as Bryon has put himself in a legitimately life or death situation.

The footage captured here is nothing short of extraordinary. Witnessing the inner workings of the Taliban is something that is extremely rare, and Bryon and Villamizar take viewers inside a country that so few will ever see. As he develops a relationship with the armed fighters, his situation grows dire with the risk of being discovered. During the course of the documentary, Bryon starts hormone therapy in Afghanistan and eventually undergoes breast surgery in Iran. It’s a gutsy, bold move, but one that Bryon must do in order to ward off severe depression.

The film conveys the emotional pain of living with gender dysphoria, promoting empathy and understanding in a way that’s educational and inspiring. The roller coaster of emotions is one of my favorite things about “Transition,” especially the joy that Bryon finds in taking the steps to become the person he was truly meant to be. This is an engrossing, exceptional documentary about the LGBTQ+ experience, and it’s one that’s highly unique and original.

By: Louisa Moore