Be Like Others
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Tanaz Eshaghian
Dr. Bahram Mehrjalali
Ali Asghar
Hojatol Islam Kariminiya
Tanaz Eshaghian
Tanaz Eshaghian
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a country with strict social mores and traditional values, sex-change operations are legal. Over twenty years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious edict) making sex change permissible for "diagnosed transsexuals." Yet homosexuality is still punishable by death. With Iran's international arms negotiations dominating news headlines worldwide, a very private kind of drama is unfolding behind the scenes. Highly feminine and attracted to members of the same sex, yet forced to live in secret for fear of retribution, a generation of young Iranian men are adopting an identity legally allowed to them-transsexual. In pursuit of what one man calls simply, "a decent life," they flock to the country's best-established gender reassignment surgeon, Dr. Bahram Mir Jalali, and are counseled by 24-year-old Vida, a post-op woman who claims to be "reborn" but warns of dangers that still await.
Director
Tanaz Eshaghian
Crew
Tanaz Eshaghian
Tanaz Eshaghian
Sally Jo Fifer
Jay Freund
Amir Hosseini
Christoph Jorg
Alexandra Kerry
Henning Lohner
Andrew Orr
Paul Rozenberg
Richard Shaw
Peter Wintonick
Ilan Ziv
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the Teddy Award Jury Prize, the Siegessaule Readers' Award and the Amnesty International Special Mention at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.
Released in United States 2008
Released in United States January 2008
Released in United States February 2008
Released in United States April 2008
Released in United States June 2008
Released in United States October 2008
Released in United States January 2009
Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Documentary Films) May 22-June 15, 2008.
Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Nonfiction Features of 2008) September 25-October 10, 2008.
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Forum) February 7-17, 2008.
Shown at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival (World Showcase) April 17-27, 2008.
Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Documentary) June 19-29, 2008.
Shown at Chicago International Film Festival (Docufest) October 16-29, 2008.
Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (True Stories) January 6-19, 2009.
Released in United States 2008
Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Documentary Films) May 22-June 15, 2008.)
Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Nonfiction Features of 2008) September 25-October 10, 2008.)
Released in United States January 2008 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Documentary Competition) January 17-27, 2008.)
Released in United States February 2008 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Forum) February 7-17, 2008.)
Released in United States April 2008 (Shown at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival (World Showcase) April 17-27, 2008.)
Released in United States June 2008 (Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (Documentary) June 19-29, 2008.)
Released in United States October 2008 (Shown at Chicago International Film Festival (Docufest) October 16-29, 2008.)
Released in United States January 2009 (Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (True Stories) January 6-19, 2009.)
