Finding your next obsession
Finding your next obsession

After years spent dealing with her family’s rejection, Karla Rae James, 60, is finally ready to transition from male to female. Polina Teif followed her for three years, the duration of her journey. The bond between the director and Karla allows us intimate access to a very complex process, full of pain and struggle. Showing her operations and the importance of time passing, Bittersweet Becoming is an incredible portrait of affirmation of identity and intergenerational dialogue.
LUXEN Decision Guide
A real-world choice where the subject itself is the reason to press play, making curiosity and context part of the experience.
Best fit
Who it is for
Best suited to viewers who want to leave a watch with something concrete to think about or learn from.
Commitment
Light commitment · 1h 27m
Use the runtime as a quick check against how much time you have tonight.
Start here
Read the synopsis.
Read the synopsis, then use the documentary cues to decide whether the tone fits.
Explore the same territory
Cast
Tap a cast member to discover more of their work.