Review - Levi: Becoming Himself (2021)

Levi Nahirney exists at the intersection of several marginalized identities. He’s a pansexual, transgender man, who was born alongside his indentical twin sister in Vietnam, and adopted by a Canadian family, where he was subsequently raised in the largely cisgender, heteronormative and white community of North Vancouver. Needless to say, Levi has a multifaceted and hard-won understanding of the importance of embracing what makes him stand out. 

Under the direction of Shannon Kaplun, who is no stranger to exploring the intricacies of identity in her work, the story of Levi’s unique life has been captured thoughtfully in the documentary Levi: Becoming Himself. 

From the start, it’s clear that this film was made with compassion. The most common pitfall of projects that explore the transgender experience is that the subjects are often sensationalized or reduced merely to what makes them unusual in order to entice cisgender audiences. Here, however, it is clear that Kaplun is not only genuinely interested in Levi as a person, but is aiming to showcase the entirety of his identity. Where similar projects are filled to the brim with manipulative imagery of their subjects crying, here we are met with fly-on-the-wall perspectives of intimate dinners and campfire catch-ups, where various people teach each other and learn together. The result is a decidedly human portrait of a young man and his family learning to navigate new waters, and growing closer in the process. 

One of the most interesting things about documentaries in the social media age is that often the subject has already done half the work of capturing the footage themself. Whether it’s through TikTok dances or YouTube confessionals, millennials and Generation Z are no strangers to baring their souls to a camera. Levi is no exception. We are treated throughout the film to his in-the-moment joy as he proudly showcases his transformation on social media and answers questions alongside his loving sister Kailyn in homemade interviews. This unique sort of archival footage works well to endear you to Levi, and he comes across as a young man who’s easy to root for. 

Levi focuses much of his time and energy on determining how he can better impact the next generation of young queer people. The film itself was envisioned as a beacon for others like him looking for understanding and clarity in an opaque world. I asked him if he had anything specific that he wanted LGBTQIA2+ people to take away from the film, to which he responded, “It's not a bad thing to come out and still be figuring out who you are. If you come out as a certain gender or sexuality, it's okay to say ‘hey, I haven’t figured out who I am yet, I don't know if this is exactly it.’ I originally came out as a bisexual female and then a lesbian, and then I felt non-binary, and now I’m a trans male who is pansexual. Those things change, and it's not fair to knock someone down if they haven’t found themselves yet.”

On a different note, there are a few instances in the film where Levi is referred to by his deadname in interviews, or spoken about in the past-tense with she/her pronouns. While the context of these moments makes it clear that there’s no malicious intent, I think it’s important to highlight how this can be considered inappropriate by some transgender people. When referring to a trans person as they were pre-transition, it’s best to use their current pronouns, to respect that who they visibly are now is who they always were internally. As a trans woman myself, it made me uncomfortable while watching and I felt it might send the wrong message to some viewers who are new to learning about the transgender community. 

Of course, trans people have varying preferences on the matter, and when I asked Levi directly he assured me that, “I do prefer he/him pronouns, but if someone were to refer to me with they/them pronouns, I wouldn’t mind. You can use any pronouns for me, I just prefer more masculine or gender neutral ones.” 

Lately, it’s begun to feel like we are approaching a new chapter in transgender media representation. With celebrities like Mj Rodriguez and Elliot Page garnering widespread support and attention, trans and non-binary people are becoming harder for the mainstream media to ignore. It’s necessary to recognize, however, that we are still a long way from where we need to be, and that is why films like this one are important. The more that we can centre diverse, queer voices, and really take the time to listen, the better. 

Levi: Becoming Himself airs on CBC Gem on July 16th, and will be available to watch across BC and Alberta on CBC TV on July 17th at 7pm local time.