大象传媒

Kate Bornstein has lived many lives and experienced many identities. Kate was born a man and transitioned to a woman in the 1980s. Now the American performance artist, playwright, former Scientologist and reality TV star identifies as not-man, not-woman.

In 1998 Mandisa Dlamini's mother Gugu was brutally killed by neighbours when she revealed she was HIV positive on the radio. Her murder in Durban had a powerful impact in South Africa, and Gugu's name became synonymous with the fight to reduce the stigma and misunderstandings around HIV/AIDS. Mandisa was just 13 at the time, but over a decade later she started the Gugu Dlamini Foundation in her mother's name and went back to their old community to apologise to her mother's killers and work with the women and children there.

Four years ago when she was in her early thirties, Lotje Sodderland suffered a massive stroke - she lost the ability to speak, to read, write, even to think coherently. From her hospital bed Lotje began to film herself on her mobile phone, capturing the detail of her painful attempts to regain her former brain functions and her sense of self - now her footage is being released as a documentary.

Colin Rosie never goes out without a top hat - a tall smart hat traditionally worn by British upper class gentlemen in the 19th century. He runs a stall selling vintage hats called The Last Stop for the Curious in London's famous Spitalfields market, but very few of his customers know how a top hat helped him off the streets when he was homeless.

(L) Photo: Kate Bornstein. Credit: Santiago Felipe.
(R) Photo: Lotje Sodderland. Credit: Sophia Spring.