The 2007 documentary Valentijn, directed by Hetty Niesch, is a compelling exploration of one person’s journey through the intricacies of gender identity, the challenges of transitioning, and the societal forces that shape our perceptions of gender. Following the life of Valentijn de Hingh, a transgender woman, over the course of a decade, the film provides a rare and intimate look at the life of a transgender child, capturing the nuances of her experience as she navigates the complex process of self-discovery and medical transition.
When Valentijn first aired on Dutch television in 2007, it immediately drew attention for its unflinching portrayal of a young transgender girl’s life. The documentary, which chronicles the years from when Valentijn was eight years old to when she was 17, does not simply focus on her gender identity but also the wider cultural and social challenges she faces as she grows up in a world that often struggles to accept gender diversity.
The film’s story begins long before the cameras started rolling. When Valentijn de Hingh was just an eight-year-old boy living in Lelystad, her parents noticed that she was expressing a female gender identity, despite being assigned male at birth. As early as the age of five, Valentijn began to identify as a girl, which led her family to seek medical advice. Her transition began with visits to a gender clinic, and by her pre-adolescence, she started hormone blockers to delay puberty, ensuring that her body would not develop in ways inconsistent with her gender identity. Initially, the documentary was intended to shed light on gender identity disorder in children, a subject that had been largely misunderstood and stigmatized at the time. Hetty Niesch, the director, first encountered Valentijn during a television program about children struggling with their gender identity. After meeting Valentijn, Niesch proposed following her life for a more extended period, to offer a deeper, more nuanced portrayal of the difficulties and decisions that a transgender child might face as they mature. This longer filming period turned out to be a nine-year project, with Niesch documenting Valentijn's life from the age of eight through her teenage years. The result was a documentary that not only follows the physical changes associated with Valentijn’s transition but also highlights the emotional and social challenges that come with being a transgender child in a world that is often hostile or unwelcoming.
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Valentijn stands out as an extraordinary example of a documentary that doesn't merely present statistics or expert opinions but instead offers an in-depth personal narrative. It gives viewers the opportunity to witness Valentijn’s journey in real-time: from her early years of grappling with her gender identity to her decision to undergo gender-affirming surgery at age 17. The documentary was groundbreaking for its portrayal of the transgender experience from the perspective of a child. Unlike the sensationalized depictions of transgender people often seen in mainstream media, Valentijn provides an authentic, humanizing account of a transgender child’s growth. It allowed the world to see the everyday struggles Valentijn faced - not just in terms of medical transition, but also in dealing with societal reactions, bullying, and the emotional complexities of growing up in a world that often fails to understand or accept gender diversity. Valentijn herself has reflected on the significance of the documentary and how it shaped her life. She recalled an epiphany she had while watching a Jerry Springer episode featuring a transgender woman, who was vilified by the audience and her fiancé. This moment, she explained, reinforced her motivation to participate in Valentijn, wanting to offer a more positive and realistic portrayal of a transgender person’s life. She wanted to show that transgender people could lead normal lives and, just like anyone else, deserved acceptance and respect.
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When the documentary aired in 2007, Valentijn was already in the process of completing her gender-affirming surgery. The film provided a platform for her to share her journey with a wider audience, but it also brought about a sense of closure for her. Valentijn has spoken about her relief after the documentary aired, expressing that she felt ready to move on with her life and not be defined solely by the film. She didn’t want to be remembered only as the subject of a documentary, but as a person with her own agency and aspirations. At the age of 17, Valentijn had already grown into a striking young woman, standing at 1.80 meters tall with sharp cheekbones that caught the attention of the fashion world. Her beauty and striking presence made her a natural fit for modeling, and she soon signed with a modeling agency in Amsterdam. Her career took off quickly, with her first major international gigs being in Paris, where she walked for designers like Martin Margiela and Comme des Garçons. However, her modeling career faced some challenges, as she was considered "too tall" for the traditional fashion runway, standing at 1.86 meters. Despite this, Valentijn’s passion for fashion never wavered, and she continued to pursue opportunities in the industry, eventually finding her niche in the rising demand for transgender models.
In the years following her initial modeling successes, Valentijn took on new roles in the fashion industry, including working as an assistant booker at the Paparazzi agency in Amsterdam. During this time, she also began to make a name for herself in the international fashion scene once again. With the rising visibility of transgender models like Lea T. and Andrej Pejic, the fashion world began to embrace diversity more openly, and Valentijn seized the opportunity to relaunch her modeling career. By the early 2010s, Valentijn’s modeling career had flourished, with high-profile campaigns and magazine shoots. She worked with renowned photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier and Benjamin Alexander Huseby, contributing to publications like LOVE magazine and Candy magazine. Her work helped challenge traditional notions of beauty and gender in the fashion world, and she quickly became one of the most prominent transgender models of her generation.
Beyond her career in modeling, Valentijn has continued to advocate for gender diversity and inclusivity. She has written for several prominent Dutch publications, including NRC.nl and Vrij Nederland, and has given lectures on gender identity and the transgender experience. In 2012, she delivered a TEDx talk titled "Why Did I Choose?" where she discussed the process of choosing to transition and the complexities surrounding gender identity. She has also become involved in various cultural and social projects, such as her work with the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress project, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and highlights countries where homosexuality is still criminalized. In 2019, she collaborated with filmmaker Stig Junes on a documentary about India's Hijra communities, offering a powerful look at gender diversity in South Asia. The film, Halfgoden (2019), was well-received and further solidified Valentijn’s reputation as a multifaceted figure in the world of fashion, media, and social activism.
Valentijn de Hingh’s life and career have evolved into a powerful testament to resilience, self-determination, and the importance of representation. Valentijn (2007), the documentary by Hetty Niesch, played a pivotal role in bringing attention to the struggles and triumphs of a transgender individual growing up in a world that often marginalizes people who do not conform to traditional gender norms. Today, Valentijn continues to be a trailblazer for transgender visibility in the fashion industry and beyond. Her story is not just one of transition, but of empowerment - of a young person finding their voice, their place in the world, and the courage to live authentically. Her journey is a reminder that the fight for gender equality and acceptance is ongoing, and that everyone, regardless of their gender identity, deserves the right to live as their true selves.
Image credits: YouTube
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