Let Me Die a Woman (1977)

A documentary on the work of sex-change specialist Dr.Leo Wollman, including interviews with Dr.Wollman and a few of his patients, with an illustrated lecture on the various aspects of ... See full summary »

Director:

Doris Wishman

Stars:

Leslie, Deborah Harten, Lisa Carmelle

Cast

Cast overview:
Leslie
Deborah Harten	...	Herself - Transsexual
Lisa Carmelle
Frank Pizzo
Harry Reems	...	Rhoda's Cab Driver (as Tim Long)
Carol Sands
Billy Kelman
Doug Martin

Storyline

A documentary on the work of sex-change specialist Dr.Leo Wollman, including interviews with Dr.Wollman and a few of his patients, with an illustrated lecture on the various aspects of transsexuality plus actual footage of a sex-change operation, which is what gives the film its notoriety.

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Plot Keywords:

sex change | interview | doctor | genital dismemberment | cross dressing | 

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Taglines:

Torn from today's headlines!

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

X

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Déjenme morir mujer

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hygiene Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was rejected for UK cinema and only received a certificate in 1982 after extensive cuts of over 10 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

User Reviews

Pseudo Documentary

Let Me Die a Woman was a semi-serious attempt in 1978 by underground director Doris Wishman to film the attitudes and lifestyles of sexually confused individuals who want to change their gender. The film also enlisted the aid of Dr. Leo Wollman M.D. (surprise, surprise, he's actually a legitimate doctor), who relates case histories of individuals who have had sex changes and the problems they face. We do get to see an actual sex change take place (although most of it's covered with a surgical sponge) and witness numerous probes of newly constructed sex organs. All pretense this has of being a real documentary falls apart quickly when it becomes a string of softcore porn scenes. Apart from that, several of the people being interviewed are obviously either homosexuals or women and while talking about dildos as medical aides for operatives, Dr. Wollman makes a bold statement by telling us that "not all dildos are used for medical purposes" (!) A tremendous amount of the impact of this film has been taken away by the so-called talk shows that feature these people as guests every week so that now, they seem routine rather than shocking. Though not Doris Wishman's best film, it is an interesting time capsule and on a camp level, Let Me Die a Woman is an entertaining film.