James & Margaret

Young Margaret dreams of becoming a doctor but faces a seemingly impossible obstacle: in 19th century Britain, women are not allowed to study medicine. To achieve her dream, Margaret takes on a male disguise and, as James, successfully graduates from medical school. James joins the army as a military surgeon, and travels through the tropical colonies. He fights passionately for all patients, battles epidemics, performs the first Caesarean section known in Western medicine and achieves the highest army ranks. His revolutionary approach is not embraced by everyone, though, and James makes very powerful enemies. Will he manage to keep his secret as well as his promising career?

Director’s statement
The beginning of my work on this project is related to the moment I first encountered the story of James Barry and couldn't stop being amazed. I love stories based on true events, and that's why I decided to make a film adaptation. I believe that the narrative form should reflect the character of the protagonist, so I chose a parallel structure. We create the impression that James and Margaret are father and his daughter, and only during the course of the film does the viewer understand that they are the same character. They will experience a similar “WOW moment” as people experienced, after discovering the identity of the phenomenal doctor who was actually a woman. The story itself is a great inspiration to me. It expresses core values, the ability to live a meaningful life and achieve something significant, regardless of gender or social background. Margaret Bulkley, also known as James Barry, was living proof of this.
The film is a tribute to James Barry and the values he respected