Representation of the Intersex Phenomenon in Contemporary Culture: Cinematic Discourse

Abstract

Today, significant changes are taking place in the approach to the study of many sociocultural phenomena. Duality and polarity of their perception and analysis are being mitigated, alternative facets of the familiar and the generally accepted are coming to light, a number of “marginal” ideas are becoming the “new norm”. The research paradigm of the 20th – 21st centuries pays special attention to non-binary gender. Modern researchers focus on such issues as self-identification and search for gender identity, mechanisms of gender construction, variability of sex-role and identification models, non-conventional forms of gender identity (transgender and agender, intersexuality, etc.), as well as their representation in contemporary culture. One of such nonconventional phenomena of culture today is intersexuality, the current form of the well-known philosophical idea of androgyny. Intersex as a phenomenon of contemporary culture is considered as an element of the emerging non-binary gender system. Nowadays, intersex is not only the denomination of a person with biological characteristics atypical of the binary gender paradigm, but also the name of a distinctive culture discussing the problems of this new kind of people, who have become a significant part of our society. This article studies the representation of the intersex phenomenon in contemporary culture through the lens of cinematography. The sociocultural status of intersexuality explains the increasing quantity and thematic diversity of cinematic material. Intersexuality is a subject of active artistic reflection of many contemporary directors (L. Puenzo, C. Lavagna, J. Solomonoff, R. Féret, S. Savory, etc.), the discussion of acute social, legal and ethical problems being their focus. Thus, the leading themes are as follows: self-identification of intersex people and their search for gender identity; the problem of medicalization of intersex people and the legality of “corrective”/ “normalizing” operations from both medical and ethical points of view; parent–intersex child relationship; socialization of intersex teenagers and social acceptance of this new type of person.