This poetic portrait celebrates iconic Australian LGBQT activist Norrie mAy-Welby. In this intimate conversation with the film makers, Norrie shares stories and personal insights that shed a unique light on the psyche of a non-binary identifying person. It is a tribute to Norrie’s heroic journey to personal freedom.
We are invited into Norrie’s home and to share in a unique world perspective, as Norrie recounts some of the personal hurdles and the difficulties overcome in forging a personal identity outside of the confines of binary language and societal conventions.
With so much of the contemporary discussions on gender being political, the film makers wanted to explore a more personal view of a non-binary person’s experience in the world, aiming to connect viewers with the human experience and opening up a dialogue for a more inclusive view of “otherness’
A film by Chi Chi Menendez & Paul van Kan.
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ABOUT NORRIE
Norrie May-Welby is a Scottish Australian transgender person. Norrie was assigned
male at birth and pursued the the legal status of being neither a man nor a woman,
between 2010 and 2014.
In 2010 the NSW Government’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages issued a certificate that recognised May-Welby as gender ”not specified”. The Registry later rescinded its decision in a formal letter of cancellation.
Norrie mAy-Welby filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission and a four year legal battle ensued. In 2014 the Supreme Court ruled in Norrie’s favour. Norrie became the world's first legally recognised genderless person. As a result, Australia was the first western country in the world to legally recognise a non- specific gender status.
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ABOUT THE FILM MAKERS
CHI CHI MENENDEZ
Chi Chi Menendez is a Spanish Australian artist best known for her documentary photography work of the Parisian underground scene and nightlife. Based in Paris France since 2004, Menendez has been commissioned as a photographer by prestigious international clients such as Vogue Italia, Absolut and Martin Margiela.
Chi Chi’s personal work explores archetypes, themes of freedom, gender politics and personal identity. Her recent return home to Australia has greatly influenced her work, prompting a renewed exploration of spirituality and healing through reconnection to the natural environment. Menendez currently collaborates and exhibits with artists from the T-E-A-R collective and was a finalist in the 2018 Blake Prize . She is currently working on developing Know Where Stories a content creation company and story-telling platform.
chichi-menendez.com
PAUL VAN KAN
Paul van Kan is an award winning Australian film maker and photographer, raised in the rugged landscapes of Africa. van Kan’s photography career has seen him commissioned to shoot nationally and internationally for brands such as Queensland Tourism, Colorbond and New York times. An organic progression into producing motion picture has now cemented his career as a highly regarded Director of Photography, with ongoing clients including ING Bank, Meat & Livestock Australia and Jo Mercer. Van Kan is commercially represented by Incredible Picture Machine.
Paul’s passion lays in documentary film making. In particular, the unveiling of themes that raise social awareness, celebrate diversity and tell stories that are buried within lesser explored landscapes. Along this vein, van Kan’s humanitarian work on the Australian drought has been highly recognised. His most recently funded project, a feature length documentary, will portray the hardships of farmers in the rural and drought stricken regions of Australia. Encapsulating his non commercial film making journey, Paul’s self-funded platform “RealFolk Stories” showcases his personal work off the beaten path.
realfolkstories.com
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Music by †he Hain†ed
soundcloud/thehainted
