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‘The Secret of Me’ Review: A Riveting Intersex Documentary With Twists and Turns


'Three Identical Strangers' producer Grace Hughes-Hallett makes her directorial debut with 'The Secret of Me,' another medical mystery.

However, as dour, depressing and wince-inducing as its revelations can be, “The Secret of Me” is also firmly rooted in the discovery of community, which Hughes-Hallet builds on the back of footage from DIY documentaries made by or about its intersex subjects decades prior. Alongside its lengthy sit-down segments with Jim — who pushes past his weary anxiety until he can unburden himself before the camera — this yields a cinematic counter-narrative to rigid notions of how people ought to be, even at the cost of their happiness. It’s a film of righteous fury, told through a lens that creates intimate adoration for Jim, who — although his experiences and activism might make him seem heroic — is ultimately an average person just seeking closure and self-affirmation.

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