A Sexplanation is a documentary that follows director Alex Liu as he investigates America’s – and the world’s – relationship with sex. Inviting experts and family members, and getting personal with his own experiences, Liu shares an incredibly familiar story.
The purpose of the production is to ask the audience one question; “why is sex such a taboo?” and then continues to delve into the emotions and judgments that come along with sex. In an American context, Alex Liu often speaks about being taught that abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs, with graphic images being wielded of said consequences. Although it is not nearly as extreme in the UK, there were some fundamental similarities in how people view and discuss sex, and the information they are given.
The production of this piece blends comedy and fact incredibly well. There will be scenes of exploding penis dioramas, alongside the statistics of men’s and women’s porn preferences. Doing so both lessens some of the awkwardness that society has imprinted on us, and keeps the lightness with which sex and relationships should be viewed.
Viewing A Sexplanation very much had this reviewer questioning their views of sex, of how information on sex should be presented, and what encompasses ‘sex.’ It also raised questions about how little research there has been into intimacy and how human brains respond, the importance of it beyond procreation, and many other aspects that are otherwise taken for granted.
Another point of the documentary is the importance of comprehensive sex education. In the UK, the Department of Education has introduced mandatory RSE (Relationship and Sex Education) to combat some of the misconceptions surrounding our emotions and our bodies. There have been protests or complaints about teaching children as young as five about sex, marking it as a dirty and dangerous thing. This shows that as a society, whatever country we are in, there is still a long way to go towards the destigmatizing of sex – and all it entails.
A Sexplanation is a short film packed with a lot of information. If you are a person who is just interested in learning more or perhaps wants to start a journey towards sex acceptance, A Sexplanation is a good place to start.
A Sexplanation is available on Digital Download from June 6th.