Reading, writing and research

What are you making?

I am working on a project on intersex people in Slovenia. This summer I met two intersex people who have a common starting point but very different stories. Eros came out in public as a intersexual. When he was born, he was first declared a boy, but then doctors convinced his parents that his biological sex was female, so they surgically removed his male genitals when he was one year old. Eros had never felt like a woman, and at the age of 20, through meditation, he realised that he did feel like a man, but since his parents had not told him that he had been operated on as a child, he did not know where this desire came from. He then had another operation on his genitals and now, as a result of this unsuccessful operation, he has difficulty urinating. He meditates a lot and spends a lot of time in nature. He currently works on an organic farm where he can eat organic food ans stays in contact with nature. This summer Eros met another man of the same sex through a man living on this farm. Although the doctors suggested the same operation to Mark's mother when he was a baby, she refused. Only his closest relatives know that he is intersex. He does not want to talk about it, because he has had bad experiences by telling to people, they put him down a lot. In Slovenia, no one talks about this issue, but in some EU countries, these operations are no longer allowed.

Why are you making it?

I found out from an Instagram post by a woman who my friend follows. The woman on the instagram talks about improving health, and in one of the posts I saw that her father was a surgeon who operated on children when they were born. I started researching because I was shocked that this was still happening and I wanted to change the way society look at these people, because the life of people like Eros, who had surgery because of the old beliefs of doctors and society, was very difficult. For people like Marko, who has not been operated on, it is still uncomfortable to speak out because society perceives them as some kind of weirdos. I think it is beautiful that they have both female and male genitals and spirits and I want to share this with others. Many people, even many of my friends, don't realize this is still happening.

How does it relate to other things you have done?

I was always interested in people that are kind if pushed to the edge of society and I'm interested in how to bring these topics to a public realm, how to make it visible for the majority. Can I help to change life for them to be accepted and treated differently.

How is it different to other things you have done?

I want to do a documentary, which i have never done before. I want to film and make montage, I'd like to realise the project myself. Usually i use photography to communicate, this time i would like to make a short film.

What are the most significant choices have you made recently?

I borrowed the camera and made some shots but i haven't continued because it was hard to organize the meetings this summer. One of them works at night and one of them only has time on Sundays. With another friend, a theatre director Nina Rajic, I want to start an Intersex Association, for them to become more visible in society and try to improve their legal rights through this organisation.