Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Mel Daluzyan, Lilit Ghazaryan
Intro:
A low-key affair, Mel brings a unique life to the foreground.
Mel Daluzyan was, at one time, a national treasure to the people of Armenia when in 2006 he became the first female from the country to win a medal in the World Weightlifting championships. Having been born with higher levels of testosterone than an average woman, Mel had a noted advantage over his competitors. He would continue to see further success until the 2012 Olympics when he was unable to set a total.
By that time though, Mel lost his passion for the sport. He had identified as male for a long time, hiding it from his family and trainer. When he cut his hair short, his trainer would demand he grow it out, shave his arms and wear make-up. Every time Mel won a medal, he felt like it was someone else that the country cheered on. Time was up.
Directed by Paul Cohen and Inna Sahakyan, Mel follows the titular man before and after he seeks refuge in the Netherlands with his girlfriend, Lillit. LGBTQIA rights in Armenia have been on rocky ground for some time; homosexuality wasn’t legalised until 2003. So, as a trans man living there, Mel didn’t feel he can truly be himself.
The film opens with a montage of protests from right wing and Christian groups lamenting how the traditional family is under threat, while the media discuss vehemently if the Armenian government were right to even fund a film about Mel.
Mel captures the quiet and determined nature of its subject; he’s someone who has gone from being carried on community shoulders before being dropped unceremoniously. “I want to be reborn,” he tells Lilit. Mel seems to get his wish once he’s able to start again. Even more so, when he returns home from his mastectomy. Although pale and tired for a while, you can see a change in his bravado once he begins to heal. It is here that the documentary highlights the importance of trans healthcare for many in Mel’s position.
With all that said, Mel isn’t afraid to show the sadder side to his life with Lilit. Having been an outsider in her village due to a pursuit of social justice, Lilit makes for an equally interesting subject. As time moves by, Lilit feels the pressure of not only leaving her family and friends, but supporting her boyfriend while the cameras follow her everywhere. When they attend couples therapy, she seems to take it more seriously than Mel. It’s interesting that we see her at her happiest, playing with their pet dog in the rain. The irony of the cameras capturing this moment from a distance, presumably to give her some space, is not lost.
Ultimately, given the current culture war over trans people in sport, some will go into this hoping for a meaty discussion. As if somehow trans people need more people discussing how they should live their lives. Instead, Mel is a love story about a man’s love for his sport and his partner, and the film never settles for an easy solution for either. A low-key affair, Mel brings a unique life to the foreground.
