Tania Cypriano’s “Born to Be” which world-premiered at the 2019 New York Film Festival, will have its exclusive NYC premiere in Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema beginning Wednesday, November 18. Born to Be looks at pioneering surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and his patients at Mount Sinai’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Jess Ting, a Juilliard-trained bass player-turned-trailblazing surgeon, today leads Mount Sinai Hospital’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. With compassion and candor, Tania Cypriano tells his story and that of his transgender and nonbinary patients, who come to him from all walks of life and whose diversity reflects the multiplicity of communities that make up New York.

Although the Affordable Care Act has put transition-related health care and gender-affirming surgery within their reach, the Trump administration’s recent reversal of anti-discrimination health care protections for LGBTQ people puts that access to care at risk. This story spotlights the unfailingly modest and understated Dr. Ting and his patients, who too often sacrifice their jobs, their family ties, and their safety, to be their most authentic selves.