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From pain to rebirth: How does the film "Nånting måste gå sönder" reveal the mental journey of transgender people?
In 2014, Swedish director Ester Martin Bergsmark released Nånting måste gå sönder (Something Has to Fall Apart), an emotional drama based on the life of Eli Lewin. The novel "You are the root that stays under my feet, keeping the earth stable". The film tells the story of how a young transgender woman, Sebastian (later named Ellie), gradually discovers her true self and ultimately completes her spiritual rebirth in the process of pursuing love and recognition.
"In the darkness, in the shadows, I am free. There I can breathe."
Sebastian, the protagonist of Nånting måste gå sönder, is a young trans woman living in Stockholm. She confidently pursues her own personal identity with a bright pink coat, pearl necklace and lush long hair. Despite her outward appearance of femininity, Sebastian is not content with herself as such, and her desire for happiness leads her to seek external validation: love, sex, and romance. But when she encounters difficulties, perhaps her soul can find freedom and happiness through her true self.
During a massage restroom incident, she met a man named Andreas, and this crucial story began, bringing changes to Sebastian's life. Andreas was injured while guarding Sebastian, but the interaction between the two invisibly aroused Sebastian's heart and desire, and then they embarked on a journey full of adventure.
"Neither am I."
As the story progresses, the relationship between the two gradually blurs between playfulness and intimacy, and Sebastian's identity begins to rise. During a fateful encounter, Sebastian resolutely decides to present himself under Ellie's new name. However, Andreas's existence also fills Ellie's heart with struggles, conveying society's prejudice and fear of transgender people. Although he was attracted to Ellie, his ego at the time prevented him from fully accepting her identity.
Sebastian and Andreas' relationship becomes complicated and turbulent. While searching for love, Ellie cannot deny her true needs. At the party Andreas was invited to, Ellie's heart was filled with anxiety and uneasiness. The heart-wrenching memories of the past made her see her future. Finally, during a violent conflict, she realized that she had to break away from this relationship in order to pursue her own new life.
"Here, in these silent and abandoned spaces, I can show my truth and my power."
Another notable element of this film is the representation of transgender people through imagery of pollution and dirtiness, which is not often seen in many traditional romance films. These shots not only showcase Sebastian’s vulnerability and struggle, but also her resistance to social conventions. The interweaving of filth and love creates an intimate and poignant connection between Ellie and Andreas.
Through the metaphor of environmental pollution, Sebastian's past echoes social prejudice, indicating a deeper fact: their love and life do not need to be recognized by society, and true rebirth comes from self-acceptance and affirmation. .
What the film ultimately brings to the audience is not only Ellie's growth and transformation, but also a deep reflection: in this world full of excitement and challenges, how can the true self integrate with others? This is not just a topic that transgender people need to think about, but also a spiritual proposition that everyone needs to face. It is a major examination of self-identity?
