The painter Lili Elbe was the first person to have gender confirmation surgery in the 1930s. The homonymous opera is a glimpse into the life of Lili Elbe and her wife, the Danish painter Gerda Wegener, through Lili's transition at a time when such surgery was still completely uncharted territory. The opera is based on historical sources including Lili Elbe's own writings, unlike the film The Danish Girl (2015) which is based on the novel of the same name.