Call Me Marianna

Marianna is an attractive 40-year-old woman who has just sued her parents in order to obtain a sex change. Alienated by her mother and neglecting her best friends, she seeks refuge in a theatre group where she comes to make sense of her situation by rehearsing a play based on her past. When the days to the operation loom over her, Marianna kindles an unlikely romance with an older gentleman who offers her a ray of hope, but she remains confronted with the idea of losing what she holds dearest to her – her family – and she must face the chilling reminder of the sacrifices one takes to be themselves.

"Call Me Marianna", the opera prima by Karolina Bielawska, is an homage to freedom of identity and the unpredictable twists and turns life can offer.

"When I got to know Marianna and her story, I immediately knew that I did not want to make a film about a gender reassignment. For me it was only a pretext to tell a story about a person who has to choose between their own identity and what is most precious to them, in this case it was the family. I knew it would be a film about the need for closeness and acceptance. Marianna's decision to live a mendacious life and to cheat not only herself but also her relatives resulted from her need to belong. She wanted to be loved, have a family and be a normal, ordinary person." – Karolina Bielawska, film director

Poland 2015