Nils Agdler

Film still from the short film REBIRTH (Swedish title: Den nya mannen), 3 min, 2018.
film-still-from-the-short-film-rebirth-swedish-title-den-nya-mannen-3-min-2018-3
33400 kr (inkl. moms)
2018
UHD-video, ed. 3.
Media Attributes
Film
Installation

Film still from the short film REBIRTH (Swedish title: Den nya mannen), 3 min, 2018.

Watch the film on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/305576000

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 the non-human.

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.

Credits:
Production, performance, photography, sound recording and editing by Nils Agdler
Additional sound and sound mixing by Martin Ekman

Produced by Nils Agdler for the solo show at Ahlbergshallen in Östersund, Sweden, November 2018. Also shown at the group show Analogue Funny Weather at Eldhunden, Stora mossen, Stockholm in October 2020. In May 2021 it was included in a film programme by Filmform at 67. International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany: https://www.kurzfilmtage.de/en/
October Edition Official Selection 2021 at Berlin Flash Film Festival: https://www.berlinflashfilmfestival.com/winners/2021/october
Official Selection 2022 and screening at Sidney World Film Festival, 6 May 2022: https://www.sydneyfilmfest.com/6-may-2022
Officially selected in the Sélection Rions (avant la fin du monde) for the 24th edition of the festival, 3-12 June, 2022. https://trescourt.com/en

Distributed by Filmform - The Art Film & Video Archive.

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