REVIEW: ‘Born to Be,’ now streaming at Film Forum
Photo: Mahogany (she/her) readies for surgery with Dr. Jess Ting (he/him). Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber / Provided by official site with permission.
Born to Be, a new documentary now available to stream at New York City’s Film Forum, follows the professional work of Dr. Jess Ting (he/him), a surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. The doctor and his colleagues treat members of the transgender community, offering them transition-related healthcare and gender-affirming surgery.
Ting’s outpost in New York City is one of the only clinics of its kind in the country, meaning that his schedule is often packed with new and returning patients, so the doctor takes it upon himself to train others and pass on some of these novel surgical techniques. In the documentary, he works with a fellow, who is learning how the medical center fulfills its mission to these patients, but still his cases are backlogged. And the future is uncertain.
There are several of Ting’s patients profiled in the film, representing different cultures and ages, and providing the viewer with some perspective on the issue of transgender rights over the years. One older patient remembers the days when she had nowhere to turn to for medical consultation, while younger patients are clearly excited, and simultaneously nervous, to be seen by Ting and his team. Perhaps the most poignant anecdotes come from Mahogany (she/her), one of the doctor’s patients.
As a main character, Ting is fascinating. When he’s not running the medical office, he’s normally home with his family, often playing the classical bass during his downtime. The audience sees him in his car, offering comfort to prospective patients, and also working long, grueling hours, sometimes at the expense of his own health. Hovering over the proceedings is the discrimination faced by the transgender community and how his patients have faced many uphill battles when it comes to securing affordable healthcare. Ting is also not above engaging with the naysayers, as he does in one scene when he calls out a commenter on social media and reminds them every person has value and should have a chance to be their authentic self.
In recent years, there has been a number of documentaries profiling individuals who identify as transgender or nonbinary, but few are like Born to Be, which focuses on the challenges and triumphs of the medical teams trying to help a community that has been marginalized for decades. Ting comes across as an exception, and he realizes that. That’s why in addition to his own surgical practice, he is striving to ensure other doctors answer the call.
By John Soltes (he/him) / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Born to Be (2020). Directed by Tania Cypriano. Running time: 92 minutes. Kino Lorber. Currently available to stream from New York City’s Film Forum. Rating: 
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