(A)SEXUAL,
US, 2011, 75 minutes, Colour.
David Jay.
Directed by Angela Tucker.
One would agree with the number of bloggers on the IMDb that the title raises a certain amount of curiosity. What does the term actually mean?
Put quite simply, asexuality indicates that the person concerned has no interactive sexual drive or attraction. The sexual attraction, perhaps, is in neutral. The film gives a statistic that this applies to one percent of the community, presumably the American community.
As with this documentary, though it is quite brief, there are quite a number of talking heads. For the audience to understand asexuality, there are quite a number of men and women who identify with aexuality and speak to camera about themselves, their experiences, the lack of sexual drive and attraction towards others, of either gender.
This gives a basis for the audience getting to understand the issue in a brief space of time, especially by hearing it personalised.
The other talking heads are observers, who explain their sexual drive, contrasting it with those who are asexual. Many of them are puzzled and can’t quite believe asexuality in reality.
There are also quite a number of meetings, gatherings of the asexual men and women, friendships, conversations, illuminating the issue.
However, the central character the film is David Jay, rather younger than expected, frequently seen throughout the film, not hesitant at all in explaining himself, his psychological make up, his sexuality, is asexuality. He is very earnest and, in a sense, he carries the meaning and drive of the film. He is also a campaigner, leading rallies and processions, a guest speaker at any number of meetings and conventions, explaining himself over a significant amount of time, proving his thesis by his own life and experience.
The film was released in 2011. Obviously, with developments in understanding of sexuality, sexual orientation, heterosexual and homosexual attraction, a documentary on the next decade would have developed these themes even more.
