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Title: Anatomy of desire Reference: Directors, Jean-François Monette
& Peter Boullata; producers, Kenneth Hirsch & Jean-François
Monette; writer, David Wilson. Abstract: Chronicles the history of medical science’s attempts to explain – and cure – same-sex desire. Combines interviews with archival footage and film clips. Looks at the growing debate on the origins of sexual preference and how it impacts on the issues o surrounding lesbianism and gay rights. Library of Congress subjects:
Reviews and Numerical Ratings (3.5) This is a good teaching video – all the right people saying most of the right things about the social construction of sexuality, with a bit of sociology of science thrown in on the side. It’s a bit dated (will gays & lesbians be given the right to marry in the future?) and some undergrads may find that there are too many talking heads – though the videomakers try to jazz it up with visuals. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of diversity beyond sexual diversity – no real discussion of trans folk, lots of white, able-bodied men, and the disturbing suggestion that the Black rights movement was “given” things they didn’t have to fight for. Still it’s about the right level for 3rd year students and one of the better films in a small field. Andie Noack (4) The provocative and offensive statements that start the film will no doubt seize the attention of students. Although the movie is a bit dated, the 80’s haircuts do not detract from the film. The film provides a superb historical analysis of the politics of sexuality in North America and outlines the complexity of the equality/difference debate. This film would be a useful tool to stimulate discussion in an upper year undergraduate course. Sarah Newman (3) This documentary does an efficient job in providing the historical account of the issues concerning homosexual acts, homosexuality, and homophobia. There are two prevalent arguments in this documentary: that homosexuality is inborn and that homosexuality is related to the environment and subjective experiences. Some of the strengths of this documentary are that it demonstrates the incessant efforts by medical practitioners and other 'scientific institutions' to relate homosexuality to a gene and how mainstream culture was intolerant of such behavior. The message relayed to the viewer, near the end of the documentary, is that although homosexuality and those that engage in such practices have managed to enfranchise, they now confront a new struggle: homosexuality has become politicized and science is attempting to link homosexuality with the AIDS epidemic in an effort to control homosexuality. Carlos Torres (undergraduate) (3) Framed by the “gay genes” studies,
this video offers a quick & generally interesting history of how
the psychological and biological sciences have understood queer desire.
The focus is on the 20th century, particularly the US (except for a
brief Nazi interlude that contains at least two errors); the 1st 30
minutes would get you roughly to Stonewall. The speakers are all white
- I think the only Black person on screen outside of a crowd scene was
in a clip of a couple athletes – and one of them makes a curious
claim about how there are few “true bisexuals” and how he
is one of them. And they’re all experts, which gets a little wearisome,
except when they reminisce about their own experiences with science
& desire. The use of archival images & clips is often witty.
This would be a nice mini-lecture. Kathy Bischoping
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