The Life of Edith Surreal

Transgender pro wrestler Edith Surreal recorded her life during some of its most pivotal moments to produce an episode of “The Life of ___,” a documentary web series by IWTV.

Edith was in the middle of sex reassignment therapy when she self-recorded dozens of hours of her life. The episode captures a raw and intimate view of the experience for an entertainer who had already established her brand as something else.

Through Edith’s story, viewers see how independent wrestling entertainment embraces transgender performers where most other genres fail to even enter the ring.

In 2021, GLAAD, a media monitoring group that studies LGBTQ depictions, found overall LGBTQ representation in mainstream films increased to nearly 23% in 2020. Meanwhile, GLAAD found zero trans representation from 2016 to 2020. So while the LGBTQ community as a whole gains more market share, trans people haven’t even started.

During Edith’s episode, she labors over changing her stage name from something ambiguous and lofty, “Still Life with Apricots and Pears,” which had currency on the underground wrestling scene, to something distinctively feminine. Not to mention she still had boxes of unsold merchandise emblazoned with the “Still Life” brand.

True to form, Edith never removes her wrestler’s mask or reveals her name as she goes about daily life. It’s a powerful juxtaposition for someone who otherwise gets very real with her audience. “I can just feel the number of reps I’m able to do and the weight going down,” she says, while describing what it’s like to train as an athlete while hormone therapy changes her body.

Her commentary happens during a personal moment inside her Philadelphia apartment where she describes the pills and injections she needs to complete the transition. “It sucks that I have to put myself through pain to be the person that I’m supposed to be,” she says.