Educational Media Reviews Online

We Exist: Beyond the Binary tackles the question, "What if the world told you that you don't exist?" It provides an intimate look into the life of Lauren Lubin, a person who identifies as gender-neutral, and their journey into discovering who they are. Their story not only highlights the challenges of non-binary individuals living in a gender binary society, but it also provides powerful motifs that almost describe this experience. Lauren's near-death drowning incident seemed highly representative of the turmoil many non-binary individuals experience with gender dysphoria and recognizing their true selves.

This film is highly educational, with discussions occurring outside of Lauren's story, from activists and doctors who spend time explaining terminology and the differences between sex and gender. However, the film does feel slightly disjointed. One minute we are viewing Lauren's personal story and then the next we are in an instructional montage. While both aspects are very important and crucial to the topic, the content may work better if organized a bit differently.

All in all, this is an important and timely piece. The most powerful part for me was the roll call at the end of the film of non-binary individuals from across the world. I would recommend this film for any academic library or any class exploring the complexities of sex and gender.