Her Story

Julia In Control of Her Life

by Julia Doulman

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Julia is not a big woman but she has amazing strength and a smile which could light up Central Station. She has suffered at the hands of her family, her em­ployers and the bigoted public and she has come through it all with courage and style.

And now some of this has been recognised by a documentary film maker, who has spent the past two years making a film called "Becoming Julia". The film will have its world premiere at the International Film Festival, screening at the State Theatre at 4:45pm on Thursday, 19 June. The maker of the film is Ruth Cullen, who has made other documentaries based on the lives of interesting people, notably Vali, a tightrope dancer and Painted Lady who was famous for her tattoos as well as her entertainment skills. Ruth's documentary recorded Vali's life twenty years ago.

And now she has turned her skills to recording the transition of Julia, from a man named Paul who was a farmer and a man among men, through the difficult times of transition as she sought to find her new image, the image which had always been in her mind, but had never had a form and a shape.

Make no mistake. The film is not about transsexualism ... it is about Julia, Julia the individual and much of the film is in interview format. Julia transitioned formally on 18 October 2001.

Her family have not been accepting and have shown no compassion. Julia's best friend and constant companion is not a relative, nor a lover, but her loving, intelligent Jack Russell named Muttley. Julia rescued Muttley, who had been abandoned and turned up at Julia's doorstep like a friend in need when Julia's life was difficult and she needed unconditional love.

What does Julia do? She drives anything with wheels and at the moment that means buses. She lost her job driving for the State Transit Authority after abuse from members of the public caused her to retaliate in kind. But she has bounced back and now drives for a private bus company, racking up as much overtime as possible to give her a financial cushion for the Big Day, whenever it may happen to come.

But back to the documentary. Much of it, as I said, is in interview format, but there are also records of shopping outings and a visit to an image consultant, sequences playing with Muttley and cooking.

Looking at Julia's photos is to see how multi-faceted a person she is. There are photos taken on her farm tractor, photos taken at the wheel of Ian Luff's racing saloon and there are photos of Julia in the street. There are also sexy photos of Julia in a mass of purple tulle, posed by a professional photographer.

And what was Julia's motivation in allowing her private life to become public? She says she wants people to know that we are not glamorous super models and we are not freaks. We might be the man or woman next door and we should be treated with the same compassion and courtesy as any person who starts life with a social handicap and rises above it, by asserting his or her right to respect and understanding.

Ruth Cullen Has Her Say

When I decided to make a film about a transsexual I contacted the Gender Centre and advertised in Polare. A number of people responded and I chose Julia. Over a two year period I followed Julia's progress from the person she used to be, a fellow named Paul, who seemed to me to epitomise the typical Australian male yet had no doubt she was a woman.

As a feminist I have always been interested in issues relating to gender. A sex-change is probably the most profound identity crisis that one can go through and the ideal opportunity to really explore what makes us tick. My film is not a "fly on the wall" documentary, it is a process of active engagement between the film­maker and her subject. It is real life but it is cast, selected, heightened, intensified and constructed real life.

I am interested in the fantastic facets of everyday existence. In these conformist times I believe it is even more important to open up people's humanity where differences and contradictions are not seen as obstacles but rather as things that enrich us all.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.