It feels to me that it defeats the purpose of promoting inclusivity. I’m not interested in putting ‘gay messages’ out there. It is not at all a taboo for me. Though my own gay discovery inspired this story that was not my intention in this film. I want them to talk about it, develop empathy for it and thus deal with it. On a broader perspective I wanted people to think about how natural a sexual awakening moment is. I truly wish I was exposed to a story like this growing up. I’m not sure how they came to learn about the piece, but it’s enough for me to know that so many youngsters in less open minded places in the world know their voice is represented. Interestingly, the film’s Facebook page is getting many likes from teenage boys in the Middle East from countries like Saudi Arabia and more. In many ways this is the story that propelled me to make films. It is a concept that turned into a mission of mine. In many ways this is the story that propelled me to make films. From my personal gay perspective, I always knew that one day I’d have to share this story with the world so that other boys and girls, and their parents, understand they are not alone. For years I have spent time thinking about it and gathering the courage to make it. When I was 12 years old I lived through a similar story.
There is a huge spectrum of emotions this moment yields excitement, shame, guilt and more. It is a film about adolescence, desire, loneliness and the realization of being different.īoys is an adaptation of my personal growing up memory. Boys is a story about the initial moment of sexual awakening. Sexual discovery is such a delicate moment in a person’s life, the raw encounter with it happens to most of us only once.