Myth of Father (2001)

• 67%
• 2001
• Documentary
• Paul Hill

Myth of Father is a video documentary about acceptance. My father, Jodie, is a transgender woman. She came out to me a few years ago and I've since begun a journey to discover who my father really is. Upon learning of my father's gender dysphoria, I've had to rewind, review, then reposition the puzzle pieces of the past to try to figure out who my father is, not only for myself but for my family as well. In the film I contrast my relationship with my father with the relationship between my father and her own dad. I interview my father, as well as other family members who relate their remembrances of Jodie's youth: "She seemed to live the normal life. She was into cars, she was into rock bands, she went into the Army...married...child..." But no one really knew Jodie, as she explains, "No one knew who I was. I trashed relationships with everyone I knew, including my own son." My family tries to understand who Jodie has become in relation to the person they knew as Bruce. I took my father's news as an opportunity to give my family a chance to express themselves about each other in an attempt to re-establish a bond within our family. My journey culminates in a family reunion, where many of the family members meet Jodie for the first time. Ultimately this documentary is an exploration of the struggle of family members reuniting while going through a change in their relationships.