AMONG US
Review BY NATALIE DOyLE COPY-EDITED BY HARRIS FROST Film, specifically documentary film, has become one of many powerful art tools to communicate difficult subject matter to a wider audience. One branch of sensitive subject matter that is often not discussed on film, or in real life for that matter, is pedophilia. Because pedophilia has become such a widely known taboo, society, media and individuals tend to shy away from speaking the truth, or even bother learning it. Looking into the past for films that tackle pedophilia, well-known triumphs like The Lovely Bones (2009) and Lolita (1962) come to mind. Pushing these commercialized films aside, a recent pursuit in Dutch documentary filmmaking has caught my eye. On November 14th, I saw “Among Us,” or “Onder Ons,” at the Montreal International Documentary Festival. The film is a 24-minute documentary by Guido Hendrikx of Netherlands that gives a voice to 3 different men living with the burden of being a societally deemed pedophile. Using stunning, although at times unrelated, high-contrast black and white images, Hendrikx captures the crucial sensitivity and anonymity of his 3 subjects. It is easy to imagine how difficult it must have been for these men to speak up about their perversities on film, and yet most general audiences can’t even begin to come close to understanding the thoughts and feelings of those sharing their darkest secrets and desires. I found it relatively difficult to identify the 3 different voices. It was hard to tell who was talking when, ultimately blending all 3 accounts into one monstrous narrative. Though maybe not intended, this blending of stories and emotions created a powerfully charged 24 minutes, with images that leave room for several psychological breaks for the mentality of the film’s viewers. One of the most powerful aspects of the film was the cinematography. The film, of course, wouldn’t have its social and cultural power were it not for the stories being told; however, the strong black
and white images presented alongside them were extremely instrumental to the further understanding of the film’s message. Several long, panning shots of pedestrians are interspersed throughout the film. At first, I understood these shots to be capturing the judgment of society and the people that shun these men for what they are. Upon second analysis, I changed my perspective to see these shots as the unfortunately perverse glances of the men. They felt sexually charged, shameful and almost ‘stolen,’ and I thought: this must be just one miniscule adversity that these men suffer from on a daily basis. My tone may seem like I am diverting from victimizing these men for their lifestyle. I am certainly not; however, neither the film nor the men address whether or not any of them ever acted on their perverse desires. I found this to be one of the most interesting and unsettling aspects of the story. Most of the stories revolved around an initial feeling or a look that sparked their sexual desire towards children. Not one account explicitly describes a sexual assault crime or an imprisonment. This avoidance of the main question, paired with Emo Weemhoff’s unique cinematographic style, works to effectively evade the most disapproving aspects of the societal taboo that is pedophilia. In a way, the film paints a seemingly beautiful picture of these men’s lives and does not demote their existence. Two of the men even stated that they do not wish for their perversions to go away, as it has become such a large part of their identity that they wouldn’t want to lose. While this might provoke disturbances in many viewers, I think “Among Us” does well to promote a sense of personal thought and alternative judgment when it comes to pedophilia. If anything, this film has the potential to start a healthy discussion of the topic, which in my opinion, in light of society’s current social, political and cultural stance on the matter, is a triumph. Trailer: http://www.ridm.qc.ca/en/programmation/ films/1003/among-us