REBIRTH (2018)
Swedish title: Den nya mannen
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.
REBIRTH is available in a looped version, which in an exhibition context can be screened in the form of an installation, preferably in combination with RETARDATION, and as an inkjet-print, 50 x 29 cm in a wooden frame.
PRODUCTION
Producer: Nils Agdler
Writer: Nils Agdler
Director: Nils Agdler
Cast: Nils Agdler
Cinematographer: Nils Agdler
Editor: Nils Agdler
Sound recording: Nils Agdler & Martin Ekman
Sound design: Martin Ekman
Length: 3:30 min (loop)
Format: UHD 2160p/HD 1080p
PRESS COVERAGE
Dagens Nyheter, Review by Birgitta Rubin (in swedish), October 28, 2020
DISTRIBUTION
FILMFORM - The Art Film & Video Archive, Stockholm, Sweden
