At work, Ariel feels more isolated as the other women, even her closest friend (Virginia Urdaneta [es]), show their true colors and try to pry into everybody else's business.

She wanted to explore the life of an intersex person, and also tackle issues that resonate with people who have had to stand up to society and demand their own bodily autonomy or freedom of sexuality.

[5] Wanting to learn the view of intersex in the rest of the world, Ortega spoke to different international groups, hearing stories that she used to help write the film.

[4] The production had some problems, mostly from the Crisis in Venezuela; rampant hyperinflation quickly used up their budget, and scenes had to filmed around the constant street protests in the nation.

[11] Its US release was at South by Southwest in 2019; when interviewed by the festival about going there, Ortega revealed that she was told of the film's selection on the day that Juan Guaidó was announced acting President of Venezuela at the start of the Venezuelan presidential crisis, throwing her country and her work into turmoil.

[13] Ortega also expressed concern about finances for marketing the film through its submission to the Academy Awards, but said that the surprise selection was "like being given a foot that lets you continue working.

[18] In 2020 it was also made available in the United States on DirecTV and HBO streaming channels;[19] it was going to have a theatrical release at HOME in Manchester in March 2020, but this was canceled due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

[22] Writers for the Gaze film festival looked at the film both in terms of and beyond the intersex experience, calling it a "thought-provoking inquiry into the nature of how we as human beings allow our physical beings to determine our mental and spiritual identities",[23] while Vivian Belloto described a moment when Ariel destroys a medical dildo she has been prescribed treatment with as showing "the non-acceptance of the culture of penetration and false normalization of bodies".

[24] She then discusses how the color palette used the film is of natural, muted, tones, being used as an aid to highlight the impoverished area of Venezuela where it is set without outright addressing the nation's crisis, as well as making spots of color, often red, more meaningful, such as the blood shed by Ariel after her first experience of sex or bright red lipstick on mirrors used to write homophobic messages.

Faggi writes that "Ortega fragments the vision from the beginning" and forces a questioning of Ariel's true identity by her "insistent" use of reflections and mirrors to look at Ariel, as well as editing techniques that allow for various interpretations in terms of Gaze – of these, Faggi particularly notes the use of "the LCD screen of a turned-on video camera" for framing the real testimonies of intersex people, a self-reflective acknowledgement of always being viewed.

[27] Jullien further opined that the film shows a critique of life in contemporary Venezuela, noting the traditional gender roles and binary enforced by characters.

[25] Scott Braid highly praised many aspects of the film, including the story it tells and the "incredible performance of smouldering intensity" that Bedoya gives, as well as its cinematography and direction.

[28] Kagaoan also complimented Bedoya's performance, but overall found the film to be too ambitious, writing that it falls short in some of the areas it chooses to focus on, particularly its character relationships.

[26] A missing connection to its characters was also noted by Chris dos Santos, who said that the film is "raw and confronting [with] very graphic sex scenes [that] lack emotional resonance".

[30] Raphaël Jullien wrote about how meticulous Ortega's articulation of shots and use of symbolism are, despite some shortcomings in composition; he concluded that though they set off on the wrong foot, it is "a very beautiful film on gender identity" and is pleased with its optimistic ending.

[22] The film has won several Audience Awards at festivals, which Ortega says she appreciates because it shows that the "difficult" subject is accepted much more easily in other parts of the world to Venezuela.