September to deliver 'Pregnant Man'

Documentary will tell Thomas Beatie's story

By LEO BARRACLOUGH

LONDON — U.K. shingle September Films has won worldwide rights to produce “Pregnant Man,” an hour-long docu about the first man in the world to give birth.

The company will have exclusive access to Thomas Beatie and his family. Beatie was formerly Tracy Lagondino, a Hawaiian beauty pageant contestant, before he underwent gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatment.

Docu will tell the story of his life, from difficult childhood and transgender issues as a teenager, through to the birth of his daughter at an Oregon hospital on June 29.

The pregnancy became the focus of an international media circus, with photos of Beatie with facial hair and a man's flat chest above a swollen belly published worldwide.

NBDtv/DCD Media is selling international rights to the special, with U.K. rights already taken by Channel 4 and deals close to being finalized for the U.S. and Germany.

September, which is owned by DCD Media, fought off rival bids for the rights from four other companies.

Sheldon Lazarus, creative director of September, said: "This controversial and unique story has made ‘Pregnant Man’ one of the most sought after stories to film.

“September is gaining a truly global reputation for producing these types of documentaries and handling the subject matter in a responsible and sensitive manner."

The company’s docu slate includes “I Am the Elephant Man,” which follows a man as he undergoes surgery to remove tumors weighing 44 pounds; “The Human Camera,” about an autistic savant with the ability to draw detailed cityscapes from memory; and “The Boys Joined at the Head,” the story of conjoined twins who must undergo separation surgery.