Sunday, May 20, 2012

Sex at 16 — Are All Men Pedophiles? — Julien Dubuque Int'l Film Festival

Do you find me attractive? Answer: why yes! So says biology and nearly all civilizations in human history. And most men (if they are honest). 



Editing: 5
Narrative: 5
Research/Content: 4
Production: 5


Demand on Viewer: Moderate-High (mature/difficult theme)
Overall: Very needed for discussion

Pedophilia is both a dangerous and widely misunderstood phenomenon. How to make sense of it? Such is the task of this remarkable film, one of the unsung successes screened at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival.

Director Jan-Willem Breure   bravely swims upstream against conventional wisdom in this close and fine-tuned examination of human sexuality and the complex body of knowledge under the simple heading "pedophilia." With interviews of professionals in the field as well as perpetrators and victims of pedophiles, a solid and wide-ranging portrait of this fascinating problem is painted.

Among some of the more thought-provoking lines:  "Mary was 12 or 13 when she had Jesus" and "Pedophilia [the post-pubescent kind] will eventually come to be accepted."


The best distinction this film makes is that pre-pubescent children and post-pubescent children are dramatically different, and should be categorized as such when trying to understand the biological phenomena of sex, including readiness for sex as well as attractiveness to (normal) opposite sex. The number 18 is shown to be an arbitrary starting point for legal consensual sex. 
Consider the following analysis from PRWEB on this film:

We live in a society that condemns pedophiles, though biological instinct and world cultures throughout history suggest that an attraction to adolescents is as natural as it is unavoidable. The fashion industry on the one hand sexualizes ever-younger girls while those who act on these instincts are reviled. According to Jan-Willem Breure, the apparent hypocrisy at the heart of society forces the question: What do we mean when we talk about Pedophilia? Are All Men Pedophiles?

Where do you draw the line? Your answer might be blurry after seeing this well-made and thought-provoking visual essay. 

Thanks to JDIFF and the screening team for allowing this one through, it was edifying and provoked much discussion afterward. This film proves that only rational thought, not following the herd morality, can lead us to better, safer, more compassionate humane world.

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