Daria Section-6 Lost in Transformation: Reflection on Metamorphosis Featuring an uncommon condition known as intersex in films are extremely rare. In the year 2019, however, the most promising director, J.E. Tiglao has made a film called "Metamorphosis," which stars an intersex character. The story follows Adam, a young child who undergoes a traumatic transition. As the transfer student named Angel comes, Adam's journey into adolescence takes an unexpected turn. As both start to get along, Adam experienced something strange on his body as he began to menstruate. After a series of examinations, it was found out that he was born with both male and female genitalia. The occurrence of his condition started an interesting spin on finding himself considering the limits of spiritual and physical gender identity and the uncertainties on what lies ahead. The beginning of the movie shows how Filipino are still bounded to a norm which requires a boy to be circumcised in order to fit himself to be called a man and will be avoided by being labeled as gay or “bading.” The initial expectations I had for the film were that Adam would undergo circumcision to be validated and will court her transferee classmate and thus stop bullying him. I feel pity for him as he gets into troubles with his classmates just to prove himself that he was truly a man. The first scene of the film made me ask myself if it's truly impossible for a mango tree to bore a sugar-apple. As I continue to watch the movie, I tend to find answers to the question that keeps bothering me. Throughout the film, we get meaningful insights on gender and identity formation, the symbolic representations, and the experiences of intersex individuals and these things have impacted me. The rite of passage is a significant event in a person's life that is essential to their growth as a human being since it influences gender and identity formation. One example of it is when we experience puberty. Puberty is a period when a person begins to question his identity, who he wants to be and who he really is. Boys start to develop pubic hair, facial hair, deep voice and a broadened chest and shoulders which make them distinct as a man. Girls, on the other hand, begin to have menstrual cycles and breast augmentation, which distinguishes them from men. These changes occurring on their body have shaped the development of their identity to truly understand who they really are. The movie Metamorphosis depicts this reality. It is the scene where Adam started to have menstruation which rarely occurs to males. I was astonished by what happened to him in this moment since I assumed they had sex with Angel near the falls and that is why he was blooded. The movie, at first glance might look simple since it only illustrates the life of a boy struggling to fit himself to the society’s standard. However, it is the most powerful depiction of how puberty influences the formation of our identity and gender. To put it simply, rites of passages can enable an individual to obtain a greater understanding of the transitions he went through on his journey, as well as provide a sense of continuity with their personal story and its connection to its environment. The film explores symbolic representations, which lead viewers to ponder on Angel's tattoo and Adam's condition. Angel and Adam went swimming at the falls in the film, when Adam discovered a dove tattooed on Angel's left side boobs. According to her, the reason it was placed on her breast is because a female breast represents a woman's fertility. Interestingly, the tattoo was of a dove, which is a symbol of freedom. The bird reflects her childhood fantasy because when she was young, she dreamed of flying. I can relate to the idea of Angel in choosing the bird as her tattoo because when I was young I really had these desires and wants which I tend to express it to other forms just like in art so that I could satisfy myself. On the other hand, Adam's situation, in which it was discovered that he possessed a womb capable of bearing a baby, represents femininity. On the contrary, he also has testes which represent masculinity. These symbolic representations made him think who he really is. The struggles and concerns of intersex individuals are centered on the person’s gender identity and gender expression which belong in the LGBTQIA+ discourse. Gender identity is an own personal sense of gender and is flexible because how a person perceives himself may change over a period which is normal. Gender expression, on the other hand, is how a person shows or expresses himself the way he identifies it. It can be in the form of his behavior, clothing, pronouns or having glamorous makeup and hair. People with intersex condition may find himself at first struggling to understand his gender and how he may want to express himself. This is depicted in the movie, when Adam discovered that he has both female and male organs. He was torn about what he really wants to become and how he could show it. The scene on their prom night illustrates how he expressed himself embracing the rare condition of having two genitals. I was surprised in this scene, how he overcame to show it to everyone as he wore a long sleeve polo for his top and a long skirt for his bottom. The situations that occur to intersex individuals apply as well to those who consider themselves in LGBTQIA+. Intersex individuals experience a high amount of discrimination on a daily basis, and we, as members of the community, can help them feel safe and more inclusive in various ways. Inclusion requires a sense of belonging. Creating a fully inclusive environment entails not only implementing suitable physical space changes, but also nurturing the social and emotional environment. First strategy to work would be to look for ways we are similar to people rather than concentrate on how we are different from them. I was delighted in the scene where Angel already found out the dark secret of Adam and instead of judging him she tends to accept and says that we all have our secrets. This is her way to compensate for the rare condition Adam has. The second step is to communicate with them in an appropriate language. These persons are typically pleased to inform people exactly what their preference is, and if you stick to it, they will feel more secure and more respected. One should consider the words he used since some phrases encourage separation while others promote unity. The scene where Adam had a healthy conversation with Doc Abraham is very interesting and I was exhilarated as Doc Abraham made him not uncomfortable to have discussion particularly on his condition. Lastly, maintain confidentiality and never break the trust of the people. It might take a lot of courage for them to share with someone about their identity. It is critical that we maintain any information that they give about themselves privately. Through this, we can express our support for these individuals, laying the groundwork for a deeper relationship. In the film, Angel remained silent from his classmates about the real condition of Adam as she gained the trust of him. The three strategies mentioned are the ways where we could possibly make spaces inclusive for the people with intersex and these are illustrated in the movie. The film began by telling a story about a mango tree that bore a sugar apple and we might find this an uncommon and impossible circumstance. As a result, I've realized that there are some people who are different from the norm, but we must not let that hinder us from accepting and loving them for who they are. At the time, I felt bad for Adam since he had been ridiculed by his classmates because of his situation, which happens extremely seldom. This makes me feel fortunate to have been born normally and without any issues. After seeing the film, I realized how difficult it is for our intersex brothers and sisters to discover and adapt into society and we must be here for them to support and continue to understand their condition. For me the most meaningful issue arose from the movie was how a family handles a person with intersex condition. Adam’s father was known as a Pastor who has strong beliefs, practices and values that he lived with. His mother on the other hand doesn't know how to read and write which made her vulnerable to being dependent on her husband . These made it more challenging for them to handle the condition of Adam. His father pushes a surgery for him to be fixed as he has moral beliefs while his mother doesn't even know about the real condition of his son and is solely dependent on the decision of his husband. The film depicts how a father in a Filipino family controls everything without considering the decision and the feelings of his family members. Through the movie, I have significantly improved my knowledge and understanding of a naturally occurring human variation known as hermaphrodite. I had no idea what's really going on in this situation before witnessing Metamorphosis. I barely know this exists, and I don't even know much more about it. But, as I have watched, I've come to know that there are three basic types of hermaphrodites, with Adam falling into the true hermaphrodite category. I understand now the struggle they were going through as they tried to find themselves and be welcomed and understood by the people around them. This knowledge and understanding is essential to me because this will provide me an idea on how I can support and make them feel safer and comfortable in our society. How is it possible for a mango tree to grow a sweet apple? As I was watching the movie, this question disturbed me. Then as I kept going, I eventually found the answer to my query. The film demonstrates how humans evolve throughout time. It got us thinking about how rites of passage like puberty can influence our gender and identity formation. The changes that occur throughout puberty have had a significant impact on how we identify as male, female, or other labels to which we may find ourselves belonging. It also got people thinking about the symbolic representations that set us apart from others. Gender identity and gender expression are also prominent topics in the LGBTQIA+ discourse, and they are also prevalent among people with instersex conditions. They may struggle with expressing and identifying themselves without fear of being judged by society. However, it is incredibly good that the film depicted several methods in which we could make them feel more inclusive. After watching the film, I realized that they were considerably distinct, and we needed to be willing to understand and support them. I've learned how the movie's dilemma is comparable to life, in which a parent takes control of everything, and how the knowledge I gained from the movie can help our intersex brothers and sisters. Through the film, I somehow understood now how it is possible for a mango tree to bear a sugar-apple.
