A UK release date has been confirmed for Orlando, My Political Biography.
The film uses Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando: A Biography (1928) as a starting point for an exploration of trans and non-binary identity. The film is directed by writer and activist Paul B. Preciado, in his feature debut.
The official synopsis reads “Orlando follows the centuries-spanning life of a nobleman who wakes up as a woman. Almost a century after its publication and inspiring generations with its exploration of gender fluidity, Preciado sees Orlando's narrative as foundational to trans and non-binary experiences.
“Through a diverse cast, Preciado reinterprets Orlando's story with over twenty trans and non-binary individuals—our new ‘Orlando's'—intertwining their own journeys of identity and transition. Beyond updating Woolf's work, Preciado examines Orlando's relevance in the fight against anti-trans ideologies and for global trans rights. The documentary showcases the lives of modern trans and non-binary individuals, reflecting on the intersections of life, poetry, and gender in the pursuit of truth.”
The film's cast includes the French pop musician Janis Sahraoui and filmmaker Virginie Despentes.
Orlando, My Political Biography won the top documentary prize at the 2023 Berlinale. It has also screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), the Toronto International Film Festival, and the BFI Flare Film Festival. Additionally, the film was nominated for Best Documentary at the
8th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.
Preciado is known for his academic work on the topics of gender and sexuality. His book Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs, and Biopolitics in the Pharmacopornographic Era (2008) describes his own experiences of administering testosterone.
Preciado's other projects include Postporn Marathon at Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona and Can the Monster Speak? A Report to an Academy of Psychoanalysts (2021).
Orlando, My Political Biography is released in UK cinemas on July 5th 2024.
