Film: Edhi Alice - IDFA

An elegant portrait of two South Korean women in transition that calmly unfolds. The first part focuses on Edhi, a modest and cheerful woman who hopes to feel good in her own body after her surgery. The second part of the film revolves around Alice, a quiet personality who is at a different stage in her life and her transition.

Alice is also the lighting technician for the film crew, whose members regularly appear on camera in a way that reveals the careful thought that was given to how the trans experience would be portrayed. When Edhi performs an intimate procedure on camera, the presence of the crew feels slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time testifies to mutual respect and approval.

Edhi and Alice struggle with their relationships with family members, the fear of being turned away from the public bath, or having to identify themselves before the gender in their passport is changed. The disapproval in South Korean society is also evident in the background story of Hui-soo, who was discharged from military service after undergoing sex reassignment surgery while on leave.