Watch Being Ginger

Being Ginger is a warm-hearted documentary directed by Scott P. Harris that explores the life of one of the most discriminated-against minorities in the world: redheads, or gingers. The film centers around Harris himself, a self-proclaimed ginger who has spent his life struggling to find acceptance and love because of his hair color. He decides to confront his insecurities head-on by embarking on a personal journey to understand the unique experiences of gingers around the world.

The film is divided into several segments, each examining a different aspect of the ginger experience. In the opening scenes, Harris interviews several ginger men and women about the challenges they face on a daily basis, including bullying, teasing, and rejection from romantic partners. He also presents scientific evidence that suggests that redheads are more sensitive to pain and less sensitive to anesthesia than people with other hair colors, leading to jokes that they "feel more pain" than others.

As Harris travels around the world, he encounters gingers with different perspectives and experiences. He meets a young woman who has embraced her hair color and started a fashion business aimed at promoting ginger pride. He talks to a group of redheaded children who are learning to be proud of their unique features and stand up to bullies. He speaks with a man who has undergone a painful and expensive hair transplant in order to cover his bald spots and avoid being identified as a ginger.

One of the most compelling segments of the film is when Harris travels to the Netherlands to attend a ginger festival, a yearly celebration of all things red. He meets with hundreds of gingers from around the world who are happy to be among people who understand their struggles and appreciate their beauty. The festival features events like ginger speed-dating, a ginger parade, and a ginger beauty pageant. Harris also interviews the creator of the festival, who explains that it was started as a response to the discrimination and bullying that gingers face in the Netherlands.

Throughout it all, Harris shares his own personal experiences as a ginger, reflecting on his struggles with bullying, self-esteem, and relationships. He interviews his family members, who recall his childhood experiences and reflect on the ways in which they might have unintentionally contributed to his anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. Harris also talks to women who have rejected him in the past, trying to understand the reasons behind their decisions.

Despite its serious themes, Being Ginger is a lighthearted and often humorous film. Harris infuses it with plenty of self-deprecating humor and playful wit, using animation and clever editing to keep the mood light. He also includes interviews with celebrities like Conan O'Brien, who reflects on his own experiences as a "daywalker" (a ginger with light skin), and tells Harris that he will "always have a home" on his show.

Ultimately, Being Ginger is a poignant exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the power of community to overcome discrimination. Harris has created a film that is both entertaining and insightful, shedding light on an often-overlooked minority group and celebrating the beauty and resilience of all gingers.

Being Ginger is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 9 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0 and a MetaScore of 63.