AS I AM
THE STORY.
During puberty and high school, you not only learn new things at school, but also a lot about yourself. This is a time when you are looking for who you are, what you feel, and where you belong. If you notice that you belong to the LGBTQI+community, it can be exciting and sometimes confusing. It is then extra important to get to know yourself and accept yourself as you are. Your feelings are real and your identity matters.
Zoals Ik Ben (translated to As I Am) is a documentary about becoming who you are, about self-acceptance and about the importance of straight allyship for LGBTQI+ youth in high school. The documentary is part of the educational program of Regenboogstad Gorinchem and is used in high schools to make topics such as homosexuality and gender diversity discussable.
THE FILM.
THE PRODUCTION.
As I Am was made possible through the initiative Regenboogstad Gorinchem, a city in the Netherlands where all the young people in the film come from. After its release, the film was picked up by COC, the advocacy organization for the LGBTQI+ community in the Netherlands. They put together an educational package around the film and made sure that the film is now included in the curriculum at secondary schools.
My role
Director, scenarist and editor
Release
November 2021
Length
24 minutes
Film location
Gorinchem, the Netherlands
Year of production
2021
Commissioner
Municipality of Gorinchem
Produced by
Amber Smeele
More info on
www.destadgorinchem.nl
“It’s important to be able to be yourself. It just feels better and it feels like freedom.”
THE STILLS.
