Most baby boomers fondly remember Chastity Bono, daughter of Sonny and Cher, from their popular 1970's variety show. In recent years, however, Bono made headlines thanks to a decision to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
"Becoming Chaz," which was well-received at Sundance 2011, features Chaz Salvatore Bono and his journey to have the body he always felt he should have. Directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, this documentary offers an unprecedented look at the decision Chaz made and the process that followed.
When received by phone this week, Fenton Bailey said he thinks a lot of people feel very anxious about changing their gender. "We had known Chaz for years, back when he was Chastity. He had been a spokesperson for GLAAD and we had crossed paths, so we knew each other," Bailey said.
One day, Bailey said, Chaz told them that he was going to become a man and wanted to make a film about it. "We thought this could be really great. We didn't know at the time that we would end up making the film ourselves, financing it ourselves. We thought we would line up some financing, but it all fell apart quite soon before we started filming," he said. "So we carried on. It was a real journey of revelation; we didn't know what it was going to be like."
Bailey and Barbato knew that the story, which came together in the editing room, would have a beginning, middle and end. "Filmmakers have told transgender stories before, but what makes 'Chaz' so different is that as a kid, so many people in the audience saw this little girl on the 'Sonny and Cher Show,'" Bailey said. "Walking in, they feel like they have a prior connection with the subject. That provides a way in for people to understand this, to relate to this."
"Becoming Chaz" also offers an insightful look into Chaz's emotional changes. Jennifer Elia, Chaz's long-time girlfriend, mentions how his masculine traits, including stubbornness and being argumentative, have begun to surface. "We all expected it to be about physical change, not about such psychological change. That's what took us by surprise; that's what took Jenny by surprise. I think it took Chaz by surprise, too," he said.
Following a well-received reception at Sundance 2011, "Becoming Chaz" became the first film selected for Oprah Winfrey's Documentary Film Club. "We had about 15 minutes of the film that we showed and we ended up with a lot of people wanting it. And then OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, came in with an amazing offer and also decided to launch the documentary club with this film," Bailey said.
Currently, "Becoming Chaz" has three Emmy nominations, including one for Bailey and Barbato for "Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming."
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