Kobieta z…
Director: Michal Englert, Malgorzata Szumowska
Writer: Michal Englert, Malgorzata Szumowska
Cast: Malgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Joanna Kulig, Mateusz Wieclawek, Bogumila Bajor, Jerzy Bonczak, Anna Tomaszewska, Jacek Braciak, Renata Dancewicz, Franciszek Englert
Seen on: 17.10.2024
[Screener review.]

Content Note: (critical treatment of) transmisia, queermisia

Plot:
A small town in Poland. Andrzej (Mateusz Wieclawek) falls in love with Iza (Bogumila Bajor) and they get married. But there is a part of Andrzej that is questioning not only their life together but something more fundamental. Throughout many years, it becomes clear: Andrzej is not a man, but a woman. And as Aniela (Malgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik), she has to figure out what the means for her and how she can live her life, for Iza (Joanna Kulig) and for her truth.

Kobieta z… strikes a good balance between an emotional character study and an activist movie that was almost exactly what I had hoped for. It should have cast a trans actor for the protagonist, but other than that, it is very well done.

Kobieta z… is a sensitive portrayal of a woman finding herself. Since she is trans, she has a harder time doing that than many other people, but the film doesn’t make being trans out to be awful. In fact, it is absolutely clear that it isn’t the fact that Aniela is trans that is the problem, but the fact that society is ill-equipped and unwilling to handle trans people. Bureaucratic and legal barriers, discrimination, heightened expenses and a risk of being criminalized are outlined quite clearly.

Aniela herself has a lot of joy in her life, when she’s allowed to live it. She has an excellent relationship with her children and with her wife, despite the fact that Iza does struggle to adapt to Aniela’s coming out. But I loved that the film gave us a loving and supportive spouse, despite of her struggling.

Englert and Szumowska have a good way of capturing Aniela’s story in vibrant images. The story spans 5 decades and some political changes and always gives us enough background info to set the mood, but not overshadow Aniela’s story. There are a couple of times where the film isn’t linear which I thought wasn’t necessary, but it’s also not a big deal. And it has one of the most beautiful transitions from the young to the old cast I have ever seen.

The cast is great, though it is the film’s biggest flaw that no trans actor was cast for Aniela (at least as far as I know). There are some supporting characters that show up shortly that are probably actually trans, but Aniela, from what I can tell, is played first by a cis man and then a cis woman. It’s a missed chance that soured the film for me a little. But other than that, I really have no complaints.

Summarizing: absolutely worth seeing.