Black and White

New Zealand / 2006 / Kirsty MacDonald / 17 mins

Black and White focuses on the profoundly moving story of Mani Bruce Mitchell. In the initial pandemonium following her birth, Mani was assigned the gender “male”. With investigative surgery subsequently revealing that “he” had ovaries, “Bruce” was renamed “Ruth” and reassigned the gender “female”. Searching back through a rich and revealing archive of family photographs, Mani reveals that she learned of her intersex origins only accidentally, whilst going through family papers after her mother’s death. Black and White picks up on Mani’s story in 2005, weaving together her unflinching yet unexpectedly humorous insights, along with photographer, Rebecca Swan’s fascinating description of their creative collaboration. Their intertwined story foregrounds not only the provocative images created for Swan’s groundbreaking book, but goes on to document the execution of a new set of photographs of Mani as part of Rebecca’s ambitious new photographic project “ONE”. Mani’s story is one of courage and fierce commitment to change. In boldly expressing her own intersex identity through the medium of art, Mani defies the categories of “male” and “female” and provokes debate over the rigid notions of masculinity and femininity. Mani challenges the viewer to see her for who she is. Combining intimate, present-day interviews with archival slides, photographs and film footage, as well as playful fragments of Super-8 stop-motion animation, Black and White concludes with stunning footage framed by the epic grandeur of New Zealand’s rugged southern coast.

At the DOCNZ festival 2006 Black and White won the award for Best New Zealand short Documentary & Kirsty MacDonald won the award for Best emerging New Zealand Film maker 2006.

*North American distribution rights sold