Unfortunately, even in the year 2023, in order for Greek society to get to know an award-winning short film, it needs to be mediated by an extra-judicial court, some sketchy reports by people who have nothing to do with cinema or pedagogy, and hordes of angry parents who, more than anything else in this they fear for their whole lives that their child might turn out to be gay.
So, the movie “Boys in the Shower” came under the microscope for all the wrong reasons, even though the film as a film is very good. It all started when a teacher decided to show the film to fourth graders.
At this point it is worth noting that we are talking about a film that has received many awards abroad, among them the award for Best European Short Film for Children from the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) in 2022.
Every year, the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) selects a short film as the best European short film for children. The film is selected from a list of short films that have been nominated by many of the biggest European film festivals for children’s films during the year.
It’s a great honor for a film to win the ECFA, and Boys in the Shower’s win proves that children’s films don’t just have to be fun and light, but can also touch on issues that are of serious concern to young people. But it seems that while for modern Swedish society this is now an award-worthy admission, for Greek society things are completely different.
Scene from the movie Boys in the Shower.
The 9-minute long Swedish film Shower Boys (originally titled Shower Boys) follows two young boys as they discover the limits and rules of friendship, while at the same time agonizing over their manhood and trying to to prove him.
Their anxiety is born when after a hockey practice, the team’s coach asks them: “Are you men or mice?”. This question begins to preoccupy Viggo and his teammate Noel.
After training, the 12-year-old boys go to Noel’s house. The only thing that seems to concern them is whether or not they are masculine enough. We see them looking in the mirror, anxiously searching for some hair on their bodies to prove that they are indeed “they are men.”
Scene from the movie Boys in the Shower.
As they sauna, they challenge each other’s manhood, bradfer to see who is the strongest. A sudden interruption during an innocent game raises questions about what male friendship can be.
The film clearly focuses on society’s constant demand even from young boys who have not even entered puberty to prove their masculinity. A demand that finds its starting point in homophobia. The film literally begins and ends with the voice of a father who worries about his child being gay.
With its fine writing and two excellent performances, “Boys in the Shower” eloquently reflects the complexity of growing up as a young boy and being able to explore your feelings and desires. While society tells boys to fit into a certain box, this short film and its characters deconstruct all the usual stereotypes.
The film was shot in the summer of 2020 in Gothenburg, Alingsås and Lerum, Sweden, written by Albin Abrahamsson and Christian Zetterberg, and starring 13-year-olds David Ramirez and Lucas Andreasson.
To date, it has been screened at around 20 festivals and has won the Nordic Star Award at the BUFF International Children’s Film Festival, the Best Film Award at the Cinemira International Children’s Film Festival and the Best EU Short Film Award at Flickerfest in Australia.
