Orlando, My Political Biography
Orlando, My Political Biography is a 2023 French documentary directed by Paul B. Preciado. Based on Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando: A Biography, the film reimagines the story by casting 26 contemporary trans and non-binary people, aged 8 to 70, who each perform the role of Orlando. The project blends documentary and fiction to explore how gender is shaped by politics, culture, and society, while tracing the creator’s own transformation through voices, writings, and imagery.
The world premiere took place at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 18, 2023, in the Encounter section, where it won the Teddy Award for Best Documentary. Preciado uses the structure of Woolf’s tale—where Orlando changes gender and becomes a 36-year-old woman—to examine present-day struggles and possibilities for transgender people. He gathers authentic voices and experiences to reveal how personal identity can become a form of political and artistic practice. The film asserts that gender is not only about biology but is also entangled with law, history, psychiatry, family norms, and corporate power, while suggesting that gender, like art and love, can be a shared, evolving concept.
The film was produced in France and runs about 98 minutes. The Party Film Sales acquired worldwide rights, with Sideshow and Janus Films handling North American rights for a planned theatrical release following festival showings. It was featured at several major festivals beyond Berlin, including Karlovy Vary, Toronto (Wavelengths), Atlantic, San Sebastián, Vancouver, New York, and Rome, as part of various program sections.
Critics responded positively. On Rotten Tomatoes, Orlando, My Political Biography holds a strong approval rating, with reviewers praising its playful, poetic approach and its blending of Woolf’s framework with contemporary transgender experiences. Cineuropa, among others, highlighted the film’s inventive direction and activism, while reviewers from other outlets called it moving, imaginative, and a significant contribution to trans filmmaking.
The documentary was shortlisted for the European Documentary Award at the 36th European Film Awards, though it did not receive a nomination.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:34 (CET).