Under Siege: the Sharks of Ascension Island
A transgender man's arduous journey of gender affirmation in a traditional Turkish society is chronicled through intimate home videos, capturing the frustrations, humiliations, and endless waiting he…
Under Siege: the Sharks of Ascension Island
A transgender man's arduous journey of gender affirmation in a traditional Turkish society is chronicled through intimate home videos, capturing the frustrations, humiliations, and endless waiting he endured under intense media scrutiny. On October 4, 2012, a beaming Rüzgar Erkoçlar received his first testosterone injection, marking an important step in his gender affirmation. Could he have imagined then how arduous that journey would be? That traditional Turkey would make him front-page news because formerly he was a well-known actor? Maybe so, because this film leaves no doubt about the degree of homophobia and transphobia in Turkish society. The crowning glory of this transition is the exchange of his pink identity card for a blue one. The entire process, a path paved with frustration, humiliation, and endless waiting, is captured in home movie-esque observations and self-assured phone videos. An intimate report of a struggle with self-realization and acceptance in a traditional society, under intense media scrutiny. —Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
Under Siege: the Sharks of Ascension Island
Documentary
Film Details
A transgender man's arduous journey of gender affirmation in a traditional Turkish society is chronicled through intimate home videos, capturing the frustrations, humiliations, and endless waiting he endured under intense media scrutiny. On October 4, 2012, a beaming Rüzgar Erkoçlar received his first testosterone injection, marking an important step in his gender affirmation. Could he have imagined then how arduous that journey would be? That traditional Turkey would make him front-page news because formerly he was a well-known actor? Maybe so, because this film leaves no doubt about the degree of homophobia and transphobia in Turkish society.
The crowning glory of this transition is the exchange of his pink identity card for a blue one. The entire process, a path paved with frustration, humiliation, and endless waiting, is captured in home movie-esque observations and self-assured phone videos. An intimate report of a struggle with self-realization and acceptance in a traditional society, under intense media scrutiny.
—Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.