What does it mean to be a girl or a boy in 2023? What do younger people think about friendship, love or emotions? What do the rights of LGBT+ people, sexism or issues related to harassment mean to them? So many themes addressed by Laurent Metterie in the feature-length documentary The little malesa “film for equality against sexism”, in cinemas this Wednesday.
Supported by the philosopher Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, the author and director set out to meet around thirty boys aged 7 to 18, throughout France and from all walks of life. The objective? Understand where this generation stands in relation to many feminist struggles, observe the transformations in society and raise awareness, among the youngest and the oldest. Laurent Metterie answered questions from 20 minutes.
How did this project get started ?
He was born after the Males of the century [en 2021], a film about what feminism has done to men (or not). We met around thirty men aged 17 to 96 throughout France. We were a little disappointed to see that the generations of twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings were still struggling a bit with feminism. Of course, things had been integrated compared to their elders, but it wasn’t quite there yet. With Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, we had the idea of going down the generations and seeing if pre-teens and teenagers were more aware, better informed or even deconstructed on these questions and these struggles.
You present it as a “film for equality against sexism”. Do you think this fight should start from a young age?
This is crucial. We invite spectators, and in this case the youngest, to recognize themselves, not to recognize themselves, to compare themselves… In a word, to position themselves on the “feministometer”. Where are we in relation to gender, household chores, respect for others, the body? It allows you to discuss and exchange ideas. It is important for us that it is a tool that speaks to young boys – but not only –, without being divisive, without accusing them. The idea is to make them think without distracting them.
Who is this film for?
It’s a film that is for everyone. Adults and parents will also learn a lot and see how much society has changed. Our approach is transgenerational. The film allows us to observe a little of the path traveled and everything that is being transformed. When we see a 12-year-old child talking to us about transidentity, for example, we are obliged to situate ourselves, to see if we ourselves have made the journey.
The testimonies of women aged between 72 and 96 appear mirrored throughout the film. For what ?
I absolutely wanted there to be women because they are the ones we are talking about and they are the first victims of discrimination and violence. These boys are the men of tomorrow and I wanted to hear from the “women of yesterday”. With me as a child in family archives, there are three generations in this film.
Super 8 images from your childhood appear as a common thread between the testimonies. What did you want to show?
This project is also an intimate and personal process. Listening to these young people, I was struck by how much society had changed regarding issues of gender and LGBT+ people, for example. I thought about my uncle Jean-Pierre, a homosexual, who ended his life in the 1980s. He was never accepted by his father. I thought back to these images from the past which attested to this totally patriarchal universe in which I was born, where homosexuality is mimed, where boys are taught to play with swords… Which is very moving for me is to tell myself that if Jean-Pierre had been 12-13 years old today, he would perhaps be a little less on a path of suffering.
Were any topics more difficult than others to discuss with these boys?
Yes, especially harassment, violence, mockery… They are not very comfortable with that. My goal was not to pull the wool over their eyes or to make buzzworthy images, but just to show that it is there, that it is hidden, that the problem remains and that they are aware of it. I find that their silences, their embarrassments and their avoidances show this.
Did you get the feeling that they were sensitive to issues relating to feminism?
I found them quite willing to talk about it. It was quite articulate, with arguments sometimes from another time such as saying that there are jobs for men and others for women… But with this desire to debate, to think, to give ideas . It goes in the direction of hope. Thanks to social networks or YouTube, they never stop communicating, they spend their lives exchanging. They are very informed. There is of course something very bad in all these networks but things are still moving forward on all social issues.
One of the boys refers to “patriarchal society.” Sexism, patriarchy, deconstruction… Are these notions that speak to them?
He is a boy who has long hair and who was teased for it. When we have suffered in our daily life, in our body, or when we move away from the clichés or activities “reserved” for boys – when we prefer dancing to football for example – we are mocked and we begin to realize things. This is perhaps the primary objective of this project, to simply try to raise awareness. They experience it without realizing it and I believe that they are sensitive to it and ready to question themselves.
In “Males of the Century” you wondered if “a new generation of feminist men was not being born”. Did this project confirm your feelings?
I believe that things are falling into place and that facets of society will be really different in around fifteen years. I am now almost convinced of it. There will inevitably still be shocks, pains and regressions but I believe that things are progressing slowly but surely.