What Is a Woman?

The most important thing about this documentary is that Matt Walsh lets the people he interviews talk. Very little of this film is Walsh speaking. That is worth something. You can actually understand the arguments people are making and consider what you think.

Now, where I think this could have been better is because Walsh has an agenda, he is overly-antagonistic. I get that everyone has an agenda, but if he would have kept the tongue-in-cheek stuff down and stuck to letting people talk about an issue that is interesting on its own, it would have been more palatable.

Still, there is not another documentary out there like this, and maybe there never can be as many might be afraid to be so candid on interviews in the future.

I was quite surprised to see the level of respect this film had for the subjects, at many points reflecting on the sympathy for children suffering with gender identity.

I think what I appreciated most was that these weren't trick questions, the presenter asked very basic and honest questions - the fact that a univeristy professor was unable to answer simple questions in his own field was very telling. It was a running theme that those who wanted honest discussions were being shut down, lose their careers and even faced imprisonment.

Speaking with an African tribe was also an interesting juxtaposition of societal ideals.

My one criticism is that I wish he had not been able to open the jar of pickles.

The fact that we live in a world where a question like this is not only asked but people, especially many women in this documentary, can't seem to be able to answer is mind blowing. Great documentary. The truth sets people free.

On the plus side

• interviewed a lot of solemn, pious academics who could not give a non-circular answer to the question "what is a woman?"

Gaps

• not much investigative zeal; very partisan
• did not present the evidence from the UK, Swedish, Finnish and French medical regulators who are raising doubts about treating adolescents with puberty blockers and steroids. Lost opportunity to challenge American gender zealots.

This documentary is affecting. It starts with emotions of confusion, humor and fascination, and journey's deep into a place of disturbance and despair. It has some mild trolling at the start, but it genuinely gives everyone a chance to speak and doesn't have any dishonest cuts. It handles a topic that's managed to become controversial in maybe the last five years. But it also asks questions, that no matter where you stand we should be asking if we really care about people - are the procedures successful outcomes? Are there lasting after effects or issues? Are we influencing people and in what ways? Do children have a clear sense of self and consent?