The boys who sit down to pee
Bonaventure Tain
Malaysia, Singapore, United States. 2023. documentary, gay, rare disease, erotic, awareness, hypospadias, self-discovery Synopsis, short:
In an erotic video filming session, two gay men from different parts of the world met & unexpectedly discovered a shared condition: hypospadias, a birth defect affecting the urethra's positioning in boys.
Titled "The Boys Who Sit Down to Pee," this documentary delves into the deeply personal journey of the director, who spent 40 years grappling with this condition. Through intimate first-person narration, the film weaves together the director's own struggles with hypospadias and his encounter with another individual sharing the same medical challenge—the first such encounter in over four decades.
As the narrative unfolds, viewers are invited into the lives of these men, from their childhood experiences to the present day. They candidly share their stories of coping with the condition, including the revelation of their unique adaptation of sitting down to urinate, a practice born out of necessity. Moreover, the documentary explores the impact of hypospadias on their intimate relationships and sexuality, offering a raw and authentic portrayal of their shared journey towards self-acceptance and understanding.
Synopsis, long:
Boys who step into toilet cubicles instead of standing at the urinals have a secret to hide.
It is more than physical or psychological, it’s a congenital condition.
Hypospadias is a birth defect in boys in which the opening of the urethra is not located at the tip of the penis. Boys with this condition could have problems with abnormal spraying of urine and might have to sit to urinate. It can lead to problems later in life, such as difficulty performing sexual intercourse If not treated.
It is estimated that 1 in every 200 boys could be diagnosed with this common genital defect. When male sexuality falls short of perfection in real life, it leads to shame. Therefore, Hypospadias has been an ‘invisible’ disease because of where it’s located and very few people talk about it.
‘The Boys Who Sit Down to Pee’ is a self-discovery-portrait and true confession that the director spent 41 years overcoming.
From a first-person point of view narration, the story intertwines between the actual personal experience of the director (as a hypospadias patient) and another person with the same medical conditions (the first hypospadias patient he met in 41 years). Sharing about their life stories from childhood to their secret about sitting down to pee until today and even their sex life.
“I told him I would like to document our encounter. Think of it as a way of accepting our bodily imperfections”
The ingenious use of nude images of both characters brings out their loneliness, fear, shadow and the up close appearance of a hypospadias penis.
This documentary is a call to action to raise public awareness about this invisible disease. It's a message of hope and solidarity for those who are suffering, letting them know they are not alone in their struggles.
Runtime: 0:21:37
Language: English, Mandarin Chinese
Subtitles: Burned in English, Mandarin Chinese
Friday, August 16th @ 6:00 PM
