A Boy's life

Although embracing vastly different styles and aesthetices, the three films comprising “A boy’s life” present an intriguingly lucid biography of developing sexuality - from childhood via puberty to college days. Using humour to explore painful issues of emerging identity, both ‘Dottie Gets Spanked’ (director, Todd Haynes) and ‘Trevor’ (director, Peggy Rajski) are remarkable in that they address one of the ultimate taboos by acknowledging that children can and do have an awareness of their own sexuality. The third short film, ‘A Friend of Dorothy’ this is the tale of a sexually confused young man in his first term at college. Each film rings with authenticity: they represent stories, experiences and emotions that many gay men will instantly recognise.