Sapir tells the story of Sapir Berman, a former Israeli soccer player who became the first transgender referee in professional soccer history.

Watching the film came at a rather interesting time. I had learned of California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsing transphobia in sports just a few hours before I started watching the film. As such, this documentary is rather personal, being a transgender woman myself. This documentary couldn’t be more important at a time when transgender rights are under attack here at home in America. Sure, the film’s subject is an Israeli transgender woman but it’s very telling when trans Israelis have more rights than trans Americans.

Berman had been working as a Premier League referee for a number of years before coming out in early 2021. She opens up about her childhood. One senses that she knew when she was around 5 years old. When it came time for holding a Bar Mitzvah–her words, not mine–upon turning 13, Berman said she left a note at the Kotel saying, “I want to be a woman.” If I wasn’t repressing so much, I’d have done the same thing during my Birthright Israel trip in 2007! But anyway, Sapir had started out with karate as a child before transitioning to playing soccer.

The Covid-19 pandemic happened and then everything just started falling into place. Unfortunately, it meant Sapir would have to break up with a previous girlfriend after coming out in October 2020. They had been together since before Berman served her mandatory service in the IDF. After the breakup, she would meet someone else who is open and accepting of transgender woman.

You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not watching the film. You’d learn something from it, especially when it comes to Sapir’s experiences with hormones and staying fit. That’s the thing that so many bigots don’t understand about a transgender woman’s body. When someone starts hormones, it changes muscle mass and starts sending fat deposits to other places on the body. It takes even more effort and time to burn off calories and fat for this reason. But alas, they choose to ignore the science and transgender experiences and believe what they want. A shame.

Beyond Berman being transgender, there are very few females working at the Premier League level. Even in Israel, at the time of filming, it was around something like 20 referees working in the league. Working at this level is very demanding–try being transgender on top of it! You think you know everything there is to know about officiating a sporting event but then you learn that they have to take a number of tests!

Filmmaker Liran Atzmor uses a mixture of sit-down interviews and verité filming as he follows Berman around through games, practices, medical visits, and just spending time with family. There is one specific subject in the film that I personally wouldn’t ask about just because it’s one of those no-nos. At least, this is the case here in the states. You can probably assume what it is just from how I’m discussing it.

What’s interesting is that even though they mention the 2024 season, there’s absolutely no mention here of October 7 or knowing anyone who was impacted by the terrorist attack. Mind you, the film is only 70 minutes long. But for a documentary that takes place during this time period, you’d have thought it would come up. I’m not even sure that I noticed any signage related to the hostages in the background at all.

Sapir is not only an inspirational film but it is essential viewing, especially with trans rights under attack.

DIRECTOR: Liran Atzmor
FEATURING: Sapir Berman

Sapir held its Atlanta premiere during the 2025 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Grade: 4/5

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