The Danish Girl

Amazing news! Director Tomas Alfredson, of much-deserved Let the Right One In fame, is working on a silver screen adaptation of The Danish Girl. The Danish Girl is a fictionalized account based on the relationship between Einar Wegener aka Lili Elbe, who went on to become the first documented person to undergo sex-reassignment surgery, and her wife, Gerda Gottlieb. Both Lili and Gerda had successful careers as painters/illustrators.

Let the Right One In had me spellbound when I saw it at the Sidewalk Film Festival, so I'm excited that Alfredson has taken on another very unique and worthy project. However, after reading the novel that Let the Right One In was based on, it was clear that he left out a lot of the 'grit' and the more disturbing aspects of the novel that made it so utterly terrifying. So I'm in a dilemma as to whether I should read The Danish Girl before or after seeing the film...

Don't let my criticism fool you though, I'm definitely an Alfredson fan and could NOT be more excited for this film! It's slated to come out in the states in 2011, according to IMDb.

I don't overly enjoy the past performances of Nicole Kidman, who will be starring as Lili, but I think simply having her as the star will draw in a lot of people to see the film that would not otherwise give it a second glance. It may be too much to hope for, but perhaps it will lead to a public that is more familiar and comfortable with trans people. Also, Ms. Kidman recently testified in the House to champion an international bill intended to actively hinder violence against women abroad (NPR Link), so all-in-all she's doing some pretty progressive work. Woohoo!