Molly McGlynn always knew she was going to make a movie based on her experience with a reproductive disorder that changed her life in 鈥渦nimaginable ways.鈥澛�
But the Montreal-born filmmaker first wanted to get her 鈥渟ea legs鈥� in the industry by working on other projects.聽
After making several short films and her 2017 feature debut, 鈥淢ary Goes Round,鈥� McGlynn is ready to present the deeply personal 鈥淔itting In鈥� at the Toronto International Film Festival this week. The movie, shot in Sudbury, Ont., stars American dance phenom-turned-actress Maddie Ziegler as a teen whose exploration of identity and sexual pleasure is upended by a rare diagnosis.
鈥淓motional stakes feel really high with this one,鈥� McGlynn said in a recent video call, noting that although the movie tackles a difficult and complex topic, it鈥檚 still joyful and comedic.聽
The film centres on 16-year-old Lindy, who still hasn鈥檛 begun menstruating but is excited by the prospect of having sex with her boyfriend and visits a doctor to discuss birth control. A routine pelvic exam turns into shock as the male physician informs her that she has Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, which means she has no uterus and her vagina is not properly developed. 聽
The realization throws Lindy into a tailspin as she tries to figure out womanhood, sexuality and relationships with her friends, intimate partners and mother, played by Canadian actress Emily Hampshire of 鈥淪chitt鈥檚 Creek鈥� fame.聽
鈥淔itting In鈥� uses MRKH syndrome to explore gender identity, sexual autonomy and what McGlynn calls the 鈥渁bsurdity" of body parts to which we often attach too much significance.聽
Like Lindy, McGlynn was diagnosed with MRKH as a teenager and says the condition has been a source of 鈥渢remendous pain and loss," although she is quick to note that she leads a healthy and happy life.聽
Among the many questions she鈥檚 carried with her over the years 鈥� and tries to unpack in the film 鈥� are: what makes a woman? What is sex? What is gender?
Given the themes of the movie, McGlynn said it was fitting to have 20-year-old Ziegler claim her own 鈥渁utonomy and space鈥� in this role, since she has been in the limelight and "sort of commodified" from an early age.聽
As a child Ziegler appeared on the Lifetime reality series "Dance Moms" and starred in several music videos for the pop singer Sia.
The director said she felt a 鈥渟oul connection鈥� with the actress from the start and 鈥渢rusted her implicitly鈥� to convey such a personal story.
The movie, which premiered in the U.S. earlier this year at the SXSW Festival with its original title 鈥淏loody Hell,鈥� is 鈥渁bout the messiness of identities,鈥� McGlynn said.聽
鈥淚dentity is not as easy as checking a box for all of us 鈥� And ultimately, you鈥檙e the only person who gets to say what you are in the world."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2023.
Sonja Puzic, The Canadian Press
