The incredibly touching story of a most courageous form of resistance against homophobia and transphobia.
In five homes in Turkey, parents tell us stories about raising their lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans children. Denial, trauma, despair, shame, acceptance, and rebirth are common themes. A mother talks about her anxiety that her child will come to harm; while another remembers the first bras she bought for her transsexual child. “Is it given by God?” a grandmother asks, ready to accept God’s word. They have accepted their children for who they are, and now share their experiences with the public, radically redefining what it means to be activists in this conservative, homophobic, and trans-phobic society. My Child takes its power from the love these parents feel for their children, telling us in intimate words the touching story of a most courageous form of resistance against homophobia and transphobia.
About the Director
Can Candan is a documentary filmmaker and an academic. He holds a BA from Hampshire College in Film and Video, and an MFA from Temple University in Film and Media Arts. He was a faculty member, department chair and director of the MA program at Istanbul Bilgi University’s Film and TV department from 2000-2005. He taught at Sabancı University between 2005-2009 and has been a faculty member at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey since 2007. He is also a founding member of docIstanbul - Centre for Documentary Studies. My Child is his third feature documentary film.