a flat chest and some muscles.
I don’t want my voice to change
or hair to grow all over me.
I look closer to a boy than a man,
keeping a lot of the female
characteristics, just like a
teenage boy, but not a real one.
that’s why I call myself
a boi.
The project
BOI - The film
Boi was originally aimed to relate the living conditions of individuals in countries where political and religion issues hamper everyday life. But Boi became the story of an inner struggle, a quest for who one really is. Boi is the story of a girl who wanted to be boy. Boi keeps tracks of Nitzan's life and body changes, following her through her journey all over the world. But most important it shows us the surprisingly beautiful direction uncertain steps can take. Nitzan unveils at the end as a Non binary transmasculine person.
BOI - The Photo book
Throughout the film Nitzan is taking unconventional pictures of herself. The outstanding self-portraits are not only showing her gender transition but also acting as a symbol for the lonely, personal cause. These self-portraits needed its own platform in the book we released with the same title BOI - song of a wanderer.
BOI - in FOAM
World-famous Photography museum Foam in Amsterdam recognizing the artistic value of Nitzan's self-portraits, invites us to make a photo exhibition BOI. It took place in July-Aug 2014 and around 10.000 people got the chance to see the photo exhibition.
BOI – IN DRENTHE
BOI In Drenthe 2022-2023 is an events project that takes place at secondary schools to familiarize young people with the concept of 'gender' gender expression-gender neutral / non-binary. By raising awareness among young people of the whole concept, this can increase the acceptance of sexual diversity.
Book & Film will show the result of an ongoing experiment with the capacities of the photographic medium to document, communicate, construct identity and above all as a means that allows for imaginary and creating new realities.
Event info Anne Marie Borsboom
STORY LINE FILM & BOOK
It is 2003. Nitzan, a highly intelligent, good-looking girl in her twenties, living in Tel Aviv, wants to escape the stress, terror and military draft in Israel and leaves for Tokyo to work in a nightclub. She hates the job but needs the money to keep on travelling. After Tokyo she lives in New York, Amsterdam and Milan.
Sucked into a world of escapism and night life; time and again she tries to focus her energy but her restless soul isn't helping her much. One thing is a constant though, wherever she goes, she takes portraits of herself to keep up with her feelings.
Finally in Milan she studies and works at a renowned institute of photography, and makes a great personal discovery, although many of her self-portraits already gave a hint: 'the girl with the moustache' decides to change her life. Now her identity is no longer something fixed, she feels like reborn and all her imbalances seem to vanish into thin air.
Nitzan unveils as a Non binary transmasculine person, he dates gay guys. New York is an eldorado for exploring both the gay world and his Jewish identity.
And ever since she let go of the past, (s)he found her life was beginning.
This quote from Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando holds true for Nitzan. He cherishes his first name, because the astrological meaning is: to die and be reborn. After following Nitzan for more than 12 years, the film went through a similar process of rebirth.
The book shows a photographic journey through life and around the world to find peace and salvation, which is being true to oneself. It is a unique document and an impressive story about a twelve year period in the life of Nitzan Krimsky and his transition from girl to boi. The story is told through endless diaristic self-portraits. From being the girl with a moustache, to floating in between identities, until the final step was taken. We are witnesses to this fascinating and haunting story of both victim and hero. The self-reflexive images, often provocative, narcissistic and obsessive, result from a constant and feverish investigation of the own identity and its representation. Most of all Boi, Song of a Wanderer is the proof of an individual who dared to choose to take charge of his own existence, unravelled by photography. (Claudia Küssel/Curator Foam)
The filmmaker
My new Film BOI
Why does gender seems to be so fixed? Why isn't identity fluid? I was only twelve years old when I asked myself these questions for the first time. And I have not stopped questioning the gender subject since. It's woven as a main thread in all my movies.
I consider it to be a true gift when someone opens their life to my camera and me. Not only for me being a filmmaker but also for me being a human being. And that's something I am thankful for.
Anne Marie Borsboom
With support from
Thank you everyone for supporting our project on Kickstarter and VoorDeKunst. We are happy and grateful for your help.
Filmmaker: Anne Marie Borsboom
Project crew: Djoemila Viegen - Ruth Terpstra
Photographer: Nitzan Krimsky
Book designer: -SYB-
Book Printer : Colour & Books/ Wilco
Webdesign: Biomedia
ISBN/EAN: 978-90-821749-0-8
More info about the project?