Chinese-Australian filmmaker Amy Wang’s short film UNNATURAL told from the perspective of an 18-year old pedophile made its world premiere at the most prestigious short film festival in the world – CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL in France 2018. It was made as part of the thesis program at the American Film Institute.
Inspired by an article written by an anonymous 19-year-old pedophile, the film aims to humanize someone who audiences across the world believe to be a monster. It is believed that only 2-3% of people who suffer from pedophilia will ever actually offend. Most go their whole lives keeping it a secret and never hurt a child. If we want to put an end to child abuse once and for all, we need to get to the root of the problem. This is only possible if those who suffer from this disorder feel safe to seek the help of doctors and psychologists. Because without help and support, these individuals can become isolated and could possibly join the ranks of those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.
“I wanted to explore what it was like for a teenage pedophile – still figuring out your identity and at the same time dealing with these horrible thoughts. The core of the film is about hating who you are,” says writer/director Amy Wang.
“Being a Chinese-Australian filmmaker has been difficult for me. Growing up in a culture that was so
inherently different from my ethnicity made me hate who I was. I saw people from Caucasian backgrounds and envied how easy life was for them. I yearned to be ‘normal’ and to be accepted by my peers. I am making this film because I want people to see others as human; not a caricature or negative stereotype of their sexuality or their ethnicity. Through understanding and compassion do we grow as a culture and become better people.”
Unnatural will be screening at Brooklyn Film Festival from June 1-10th in NYC. It will also screen in Los Angeles at the Dances with Films Festival starting June 7th.
Website: https://amywangfilm.com/films/unnatural/
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