The Danish Girl: the film about Lili Elbe between history and controversy

A film that brought trans history to the mainstream

In November 2015, millions of viewers around the world learned the name Lili Elbe for the first time thanks to “The Danish Girl,” a biographical drama directed by Tom Hooper and produced by Working Title Films [1]. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September of that year, had the merit of bringing a transgender story from the 1930s into mainstream cinemas, sparking a debate that continues to this day.

Based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, published in 2000, the film tells the story of Lili Elbe, a Danish painter born in 1882 who was among the first known people to undergo gender-affirming surgery [2]. The film focuses on Lili’s journey of identity discovery and on the complex relationship with her wife Gerda Wegener, played by Alicia Vikander.

The plot: a journey of discovery

The story opens in 1920s Copenhagen, where Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) live as a couple of artists in love. Einar paints landscapes, Gerda portraits. Their life changes when Gerda asks Einar to pose for a portrait in place of an absent model, wearing women’s clothing and silk stockings.

What seems like an innocent game turns out to be the catalyst for a profound transformation. Einar begins to explore his feminine identity, first in private, then in public, adopting the name Lili. The film follows the couple as they move to Paris, where the bohemian atmosphere offers greater freedom, and then to Dresden, where Lili undergoes the pioneering surgeries that would mark the history of transgender medicine.

The emotional heart of the film lies in the relationship between Lili and Gerda: a love story that transforms without breaking, in which Gerda struggles to support the person she loves even when the entire world around them seems to crumble. The film avoids easy melodrama, presenting instead an intimate and delicate portrait of two people trying to navigate completely uncharted territory.

The historical context: the real Lili Elbe

To fully understand the film, it is essential to know the true story that inspired it. Lili Elbe was born as Einar Wegener in 1882 in Vejle, Denmark [2]. She studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and married Gerda Gottlieb in 1904.

Between 1930 and 1931, Lili underwent a series of surgical procedures at the clinic of Dr. Kurt Warnekros in Dresden, with the scientific support of Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin [2]. King Christian X of Denmark officially recognized her female identity, an extraordinary gesture for the time.

Tragically, Lili died in September 1931, at age 48, from complications related to her final surgery, a pioneering attempt at uterine transplantation [2]. Her autobiography, “Man into Woman,” was published posthumously in 1933 and remains one of the first direct accounts of the transgender experience.

The film, however, takes numerous narrative liberties. The dynamic between Lili and Gerda is fictionalized, some characters are invented, and the circumstances of the surgeries are simplified [6]. The Smithsonian Magazine published a detailed analysis of the differences between the true story and the cinematic version, highlighting how the film often sacrifices historical accuracy in favor of dramatic effect [6].

Awards and recognition

“The Danish Girl” received important recognition in international film awards:

Academy Awards 2016: Alicia Vikander won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Gerda Wegener [4]. Eddie Redmayne was nominated for Best Actor, but the award went to Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Revenant” [1].

BAFTA: The film received nominations at the British Academy Film Awards, consolidating its presence during awards season.

Venice Film Festival: The film was presented in competition at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival in September 2015 [1].

Screen Actors Guild Awards: Vikander also received a nomination at the SAG Awards.

Vikander’s performance was almost universally praised by critics. Her portrayal of Gerda — a woman who struggles between love for the person she knows and acceptance of the person she is becoming — was described as the true emotional heart of the film.

The casting controversy: cisgender actors in trans roles

The casting of Eddie Redmayne in the role of Lili Elbe generated a debate that transcended the film itself, becoming one of the central themes in the discussion about transgender representation in media [5]. The main criticism, expressed by activists, trans organizations, and numerous commentators, can be broken down into several points.

Authenticity of representation: Many argue that only a transgender person can truly understand and convey the experience of being trans [5]. A cisgender actor, no matter how talented, would inevitably portray trans identity as a “performance” rather than a lived experience.

Job opportunities: In an industry where transgender actors and actresses already struggle enormously to find work, giving the few available trans roles to cisgender actors further reduces their opportunities [5].

Problematic narrative: When a cisgender man plays a trans woman, the audience may involuntarily perceive transgender identity as a “disguise” or “transformation,” rather than as an authentic identity.

Redmayne himself, in later interviews, acknowledged the validity of these criticisms. In 2021, he stated that he should not have accepted the role and that it was a mistake, adding that he understands why many trans people felt hurt by the casting choice.

This controversy contributed to a significant change in the film industry. In subsequent years, more and more productions chose to cast transgender actors and actresses in transgender roles, as in the case of “Pose” (2018-2021) and numerous other television and film productions.

Cultural impact

Despite the controversies, “The Danish Girl” had a significant cultural impact. For many people, it was the first encounter with the history of transgender people and with the concept of gender identity itself. The film brought Lili Elbe’s name into global popular culture, stimulating curiosity and research into the true story behind the film.

The film’s commercial success — with worldwide box office earnings of approximately $64 million against a budget of $15 million [1] — demonstrated that transgender stories can reach a broad, mainstream audience. This paved the way for other productions exploring trans themes, contributing to greater overall visibility.

At the same time, the film stimulated a broader debate about the representation of trans people in media. It highlighted the difference between “talking about” trans people and “giving voice to” trans people, a distinction that has become increasingly central in contemporary cultural discourse.

Where to watch the film

“The Danish Girl” is available on various streaming and digital rental platforms. It can be found on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other online rental platforms. Availability may vary depending on the country and time period.

A film to contextualize

“The Danish Girl” is a product of its time. Released in 2015, during a period of growing visibility for transgender people but before the debate on representation reached its current maturity, the film reflects both the progress and the limitations of that era.

Watching it today means appreciating its merits — the elegant cinematography, the intense performances, the willingness to bring a trans story to a mainstream audience — and at the same time recognizing its limitations: the choice of a cisgender actor, the excessive romanticization of the story, the tendency to present transition as suffering rather than affirmation.

For those who wish to learn more about the true story of Lili Elbe, we recommend reading our dedicated article and exploring her autobiography “Man into Woman,” which offers a direct testimony far richer and more complex than any film adaptation.

The most important contribution of “The Danish Girl” remains perhaps that of having opened a door. For millions of viewers, it was the beginning of a journey of knowledge and understanding of transgender experiences, a journey that continues today with works created by and with trans people, finally bringing their voices to the center of the narrative.

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