REBIRTH

Short synopsis:

REBIRTH is the first short film in the Male Nature Studies series.

The conception of "The New Man" emerged in the 1970s, and has since then reappeared from time to time, with varying ideals about how he should look, feel and act. There are often major inherent conflicts within the same ideal, which can cause great confusion for the man at the individual level.

In REBIRTH, Nils Agdler visualizes ideas of a coming new man, the unprotected and vulnerable man, the new-born man and the man as nature.

Long synopsis:

REBIRTH is the first short film in the Male Nature Studies series. The second film, RETARDATION, was produced in 2021. In these films, Nils Agdler examines alternative approaches to what is popularly called ”toxic masculinity”. In today's society, it has a great impact as a negative male role model, which could be expressed as a desire to constantly compete against and to dominate, both other people and other-than-humans.

The conception of The New Man emerged in the 1970s, and has since then reappeared from time to time, with varying ideals about how he should look, feel and act. There are often major inherent conflicts within the same ideal, which can cause great confusion for the man at the individual level.

The work with REBIRTH has been based on questions about what it is like to be a white, middle-aged man in the western society today, what the hegemonic masculinity looks like and if there are other ideals to follow? How does the white man react when his privileges diminish or disappear, when he no longer belongs to a chosen ”we” but is mixed up with "the others"? It is easy to see destructive parts of men's actions around the world, but what is actually a good masculinity? Are male role models important or are human role models enough? And will men in the near future become redundant when women will be able to reproduce themselves without the help of a man?

In REBIRTH, Nils Agdler visualizes ideas of a coming new man, the unprotected and vulnerable man, the new-born man and the man as nature.