Born to Be
“When you see yourself, who do you see?”
Storyline
Soon after New York state passed a 2015 law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services, director Tania Cypriano and producer Michelle Hayashi began bringing their cameras behind the scenes at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning. Lending equal narrative weight to the experiences of the center’s groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and those of his diverse group of patients, BORN TO BE perfectly balances compassionate personal storytelling and fly-on-the-wall vérité. It’s a film of astonishing access—most importantly into the lives, joys, and fears of the people at its center.
Cast & Crew
Leiomy Maldonado
Self
Lead
Garnet Rubio
Self
Mahogany Phillips
Self
Jess Ting
Self
Jordan Rubenstein
Self
Shawn Frederick Sr.
Self
Cashmere
Self
What People Are Saying
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Tania Cypriano's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. Born to Be is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
