Change of Sex
Change of Sex or Sex Change (Spanish: Cambio de Sexo) is a 1976 Spanish film, written and directed by Vicente Aranda. It stars Victoria Abril as José Maria. The film dramatizes the story of a young feminine boy, who moves to the city to explore his desire to become a woman.
Cambio de Sexo | |
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Directed by | Vicente Aranda |
Produced by | Jaime Fernandez Cid |
Written by | Vicente Aranda Joaquin Jordá Carlos Durán |
Starring | Victoria Abril Lou Castel Fernando Sancho Rafaela Aparicio Bibí Andersen |
Music by | Ricardo Miralles |
Cinematography | Néstor Almendros José Luis Alcaine |
Edited by | Maricel Bautista |
Distributed by | Morgana Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
Country | Spain |
Language | Spanish |
Synopsis
In a small town, outside of Barcelona, Spain, José Maria is a teenager with a big problem: he imagines that he is really a woman. While he begins to show his desire to be a woman through his appearance, the reactions within his household make things more difficult for him. His rude father is a male chauvinist who, afraid of his son's softness, puts him to work chopping wood. Then, his father takes him to a cabaret show, to expose José Maria to women, but while there José Maria is exposed to a dancer named Bibi, who is a transgender woman, for the first time. After the show, his father tries to force José Maria to have sex with a prostitute from the show, but he refuses.[1] José Maria flees from the adventure feeling guilty. He escapes to the city where he tries to be accepted as a woman with tragic results. While working as a hairdresser he meets, Bibi, the trans woman who works at the cabaret and José Maria goes to work with her. Here he is not José Maria anymore, but Maria José. At the cabaret, he falls in love with Durán, the owner of the bar. Durán, reluctant at the beginning, nevertheless starts a relationship with Maria José, who wants to go all the way, and plans to travel to London to have a sex change operation.
Cast
- Victoria Abril as José María/ María José
- Lou Castel as Durán
- Fernando Sancho as José Maria's father
- Rafaela Aparicio as Pilar
- Daniel Martín as Pedro
- Montserrat Carulla as José Maria's mother
- Bibi Andersen as Bibí
- Mario Gas as Álvaro
- Maria Elías as Lolita