SXSW 2020 - The Dilemma of Desire
SXSW
Maria Finitzo’s insightful documentary on female sexuality opens with an observation that is at once undeniable and rarely made: the clitoris has been almost entirely written out of the very literature that is meant to educate on sexual interaction. The fact that something as simple as the location of the clitoris has been so often framed as some kind of smirking mystery speaks to not only the lack of meaningful writing on the topic, but also to the fact that so much of the published work on human sexuality is male-centric.
Latching onto the linguistically gratifying concept of ‘cliteracy’ – a term coined by visual artist Sophia Wallace and replete with its own set of natural laws – the film fans out to introduce a series of character studies through which various issues are illuminated. From a female biologist who was stunned at her own lack of knowledge when it came to the true form and structure of the clitoris to a college PhD student struggling with imposter syndrome in a field dominated by male students laden with gender-normative prejudice, the documentary’s subjects are given time and space to exist and this editorial generosity makes for a richer experience while rarely tipping over into indulgence. The tight, lively editing and frequently shifting point of focus keeps things fresh as the eye-opening disclosures and personal anecdotes pile up.
The strength of the film’s convictions and the assurance with which they are conveyed feel both entirely justified and urgently necessary. A stark case in point is the fact that just 25% of females achieve orgasm through penetration alone while for men the figure is 96%, yet male sexual pleasure is routinely prioritised everywhere from academic research to pop culture. As industrial designer turned sex toy entrepreneur Ti Chang explains, much of the existing sex toy market is dominated by products made for, and by, men. Products that are sold to women often have a loose to non-existent focus on the specifics of female sexual pleasure while adhering to a set of aesthetic values more in line with male desire. Nevertheless, sexualised imagery of women is routinely placed front and centre when the time comes to turn a profit.
During its second half, the film broadens the focus in order to touch on adjacent and often deeply interconnected issues such as rape culture, restrictive marital norms, transphobia and, somewhat unavoidably, the reign of insensitivity paragon Donald Trump. While all of these are prescient topics for serious analysis and discussion within the culture, attempting to fold them all into a single feature-length documentary is a tall order and, at times, the documentary loses some of its momentum as a result. Nevertheless, the reappearance of through-line talking heads, such as Sophia Wallace, serves to knit the threads back together with articulate commentary and context.
It would be easy to make a cheap gag about increased ‘cliteracy’ being a long time coming, but by confronting the audience with lived experiences from women stifled by shame and sexual frustration, Finitzo’s documentary silences the sniggering and compels action. As far as calls to arms go, wider society could do a lot worse than Wallace’s spin on Big Daddy Kane: Ain’t no half steppin’ to the clit.