VANCOUVER — (July 5, 2021) Amazing Factory Productions announced today the premiere of CBC Original Documentary Levi: Becoming Himself. The film launches as a part of the Absolutely Canadian documentary series on the free CBC Gem streaming service July 16 and premieres on CBC TV in B.C. & Alberta on July 17, 2021 at 7PM local time.
The film explores the journey of Vancouver’s Levi Nahirney as he navigates his gender identity and transition with the support of his family. Levi, who was assigned as female at birth, is an identical twin whose journey involves his twin sister, his parents and community. The film is a love story of a family pulling together to support Levi as he grows up and grows into the person he knows he is.
“It was important for me to share my story. I want those who don’t know about my community and our struggles to be able to get to know us and hopefully make some change in the world,” says Levi.
At 19, Levi Nahirney is already an LGBTQ2S+ advocate, leader, and spokesperson. As an adopted twin from a small fishing village in Vietnam, being adopted by a white family and growing up in North Vancouver, Levi and his sister Kailyn often felt like they didn’t belong. Levi: Becoming Himself gives viewers a personal look at what Levi’s life and relationships were like growing up while navigating his gender identity, traveling to meet his birth mother and finding his sense of belonging in a world he never felt like he could fully be himself in. Levi’s life has been complex and at times painful, but also full of love. To help make others’ transitions easier, Levi invites the country to watch his story of acceptance, discovery and belonging.
“What really struck me about Levi’s story was the complexity of his nested identities,” says writer and director Shannon Kaplun. “Being adopted, sense of nationhood, sense of culture, being an ‘identical’ twin, and of course gender and sexuality. There are so many layers of identity to figure out ‘who am I and where do I fit in the world?’ I have been exploring identity for most of my career and I’m so honoured Levi and his family trusted me to help tell their story.”
Levi’s message is strong and clear, he spoke at both the 2018 and 2019 We4She events in Vancouver calling for policy change, education, and safe spaces especially, for trans kids. His hope is that by sharing his story, administrators and those in power will do a better job at supporting LGBTQ2S+ youth in schools and communities.
Levi: Becoming Himself was directed by Shannon Kaplun (Dreamcatcher Bios), written by Shannon Kaplun and Charlene Rule (Intervention) and produced by Josh Huculiak (Ash, Violent). The film was made possible through the support of the CBC, Rogers Documentary Fund, Creative BC and the Canada Media Fund.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
Amazing Factory Productions, is a Vancouver, B.C. based production company of four family members. The company is centered around three award-winning filmmakers whose credits include feature films including Ash and Violent, as well as music videos, commercial projects, live performances and corporate videos. The work they do is always done with the utmost passion, care and resourcefulness to deliver the highest quality. www.amazingfactory.com
Shaka Productions is a female-led production company that develops and produces real stories that make an impact through education, empowerment, and inspiration.
Whether they are telling stories about culture, music, or technology; their stories have a common thread – identity. They believe in hope, and strive to amplify the voices of under-represented people and communities as allies. www.shakaproductions.ca
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