SHAPE

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

As a gay man born and raised in Australia, I have grappled with my own body image for many years. I firmly believe that this is a result of the endless pressures I faced within the gay community, heavily influenced by advertising, social media, the gay clubbing scene and Grindr. When I first came out, it became clear that the person I should desire (and aspire to look like) is a young, white, fit and masculine man. It was impossible not to see this desirable/enviable image everywhere I looked. 

 Over many years, I have witnessed the negative effect these pressures and influences have had on my friends and I’ve felt them personally. I’ve always felt uncomfortable with gay body image ideals because I am of mixed race, with Cambodian and Latvian heritage. And now that I’m in my late 30’s, I’m even more aware of age discrimination. 

From early on, I fell into the trap of wanting to look a certain way because I felt that if I did, it would help me gain acceptance within the community. It didn’t take long to develop a dysphoria about my own body. I was at the gym regularly, increasingly conscious of what I ate, and found myself idolising certain body types. Seeing exclusionary language on Grindr profiles made me overwhelmingly aware that age, race, physique and femininity were very much a definitive source of segregation among gay men.

Within the gay community, I don’t believe body image issues are openly and honestly talked about; this was the catalyst for creating Shape. I truly believe that this is an important documentary that will be so valuable to a community that is underrepresented in the mainstream media. 

 I had a strong desire to explore these issues in detail, utilising my lived experience and knowledge whilst introducing an academic point of view. And most importantly, to give a voice to others who have intimate experience of body image issues and image-based discrimination. 

 I’m an avid documentary watcher, but I have not come across a documentary film that discusses gay body image issues in detail from an Australian perspective. I feel very confident that gay men, both in Australia and Internationally, will take a keen interest in this universal topic, and in turn, Shape will have a large and engaged audience with the potential to create social change. 

 I really want to give voice to a diverse range of gay men to speak openly about body image, so that the audience feels represented and feels a connection to the subject matter. I don’t want gay men to feel alone navigating the negative thoughts that come with feeling physically inadequate in a community that contradicts itself in upholding the values of equality and acceptance.

 I hope to shift people’s way of thinking about body image; in that it goes beyond whether you are physically fit or not, it is also linked to other aspects of your physical appearance such as age, race and femininity/masculinity.   

 I believe that when you more deeply understand a topic (both academically and anecdotally), it becomes easier to identify the issues and draw a more informed conclusion and find potential solutions. I think that any social change starts within the individuals of that community. What are their inherent views and values, and how do they conduct themselves within society? If we get that in a good position, then I believe social change will follow.     

 This contemporary, provocative documentary will provide a platform to analyse what we know and understand about body image among gay men, the associated issues, as well as the tools to have a healthy, meaningful and informed discussion to embrace a more positive outlook. My hope is that Shape will shed a light on the social change required for us to be truly inclusive.

-Roger Ungers, Director