XXY (2007)

Director:

Lucía Puenzo

Writers:

Sergio Bizzio (short story "Cinismo")
Lucía Puenzo (writer)

Release Date:

2 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This is the dramatic story of a 15-year-old hermaphrodite. She lives with her parents, who have to cope with the challenges of her medical condition. |

Plot Keywords:

Hermaphrodite | Puberty | Homosexuality | Bicycle | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

20 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Ricardo Darín	...	Kraken
Valeria Bertuccelli	...	Suli
Germán Palacios	...	Ramiro
Carolina Pelleritti	...	Erika
Martín Piroyansky	...	Alvaro
Inés Efron	...	Alex
Guillermo Angelelli	...	Juan
César Troncoso	...	Washington
Jean Pierre Reguerraz	...	Esteban
Ailín Salas	...	Roberta
Luciano Nóbile	...	Vando
Lucas Escariz	...	Saul

Also Known As:

XXY (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Argentina | France | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Italy:VM14 | Canada:14A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | France:Unrated (with warning) | Brazil:16 | Ireland:16 | Norway:11 | UK:15 | Hungary:16 | Belgium:KT | Australia:MA (2008) | Taiwan:R-18 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Poland:15 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Piriápolis, Maldonado, Uruguay

Company:

Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania

Trivia:

On September 27, 2007, XXY was chosen to represent Argentina at the Oscars, for the Best Foreign Language Film category. In a rare sweep, it was also chosen to represent Argentina at Spain's Goya Awards, for Best Foreign Film in Spanish. The tradition has been for two separate films to be sent to one of the awards each. The runner-up this year, in both cases, was La señal (2007), also starring (and co-directed by) Ricardo Darín.

Great movie but fictional - medical background on Klinefelter's Syndrome

I will not get into any comments on the movie despite the medical facts. I think other people can do and have done this better than me. I just want to say I loved this movie and for who is interested here are some facts why the story is fictional:

Alex seems to have both genders. She seems to have both - a vagina and a penis - and the doctors already noticed that before she was born. That is referred to as real hermaphroditism, but it is actually not a part of Klinefelter's syndrome, which is a so-called "pseudo-hermaphroditism". All children with an extra X chromosome in addition to XY (so 47,XXY-children) are BOYS. The Sex-determing Region of Y is making them develop to boys. So they won't have nor a vagina nor a uterus and until puberty they are usually not even diagnosed.

Boys with Klinefelter's Syndrome usually consult a doctor because of insufficient growth of the testes in puberty. Some get gynecomastia (breast development in boys) and stay with a high voice. The penis and hair usually develop normal.

So as long as they don't have a genetic abnormality on their Y-chromosome they won't be real hermaphrodites, which is a really rare condition anyway and comes along with the normal Karyotypes 46,XX or 46,XY in most cases.

Anyway it is a great movie! Enjoy!