Have you ever traveled to Istanbul? The people who have visited the place will be able to relate to the facts mentioned in this article. When you walk past the popular tourist spots of the city, you will notice many people walking with bald heads. However, it is not just about their bald heads, as sometimes they are wounded and bloodied like zombie survivors. It might look funny, but when you look closely at them, they hide some harsh truths inside them. While they endure the cheap hair stylists of Turkey, their actions reveal a different story than they show. They are the victims of insecurity and an unwavering hope of a better life ahead.
This message is conveyed through a movie directed by the Belgian director, Manoel Dupont. However, his movie ‘Before/After’ doesn’t represent the dark truths of the Hair transplant industry. Therefore, it might not be delivering the stance that the audience would have expected.
Before/After’s Storyline and Essence
Before/After is a semi-documentary adaptation that has its fictional essence in the story. Moreover, the jury at Karlovy Vary has specially mentioned the movie’s thoughts on an unnoticed issue in Turkey’s city. The major portion of the film is based on a fictional script that dives into the journey of two non-professional actors. These two non-professional actors are on their way to get a hair transplant surgery in Turkey. However, the procedures and the transformation they achieved after the surgery were what they underwent in reality, too. Therefore, all the expressions and the emotions depicted on the screen were completely real. It also shows the anxiety that the people face during such procedures, while they are struggling with their intrusive thoughts.
Before/After’s Touch of Affection for Gay Relationships
This film is filled with delicacy and raw human emotions, which highlight the mental state of men in Turkey. Moreover, it delves into the concept of gay relationships, which has helped the movie climb the stairs of the LGBT Fest and distribution circuits. The film reflects the complexity of male emotions and the pressure on them from society. Moreover, it shows how society’s ideal description of a masculine and empowered man has affected their mental health. This idea touched and brought it to the queer French Sales Outfit Outplay Films’ attention for generalizing gender vulnerability.
The Emotional bonding of the protagonist of Before/After
The story revolves around Jeremy Lambot and Bapitste Leclere, who met when Jeremy hitched a ride home with Bapitste. Their small talk at Jeremy’s home turned to a drink in Jeremy’s inherited house. Moreover, this was the moment their first spark could be identified when they looked shy while talking. Additionally, their bond intensified with the first commonality in them, a bald head. Together, they started to explore their interests, which were way beyond society’s expectations and norms. Manoel Dupont has excellently explained the weight on the shoulders of each character. Every backstory in the movie highlights how damaged and insecure the men are when they are fulfilling their responsibilities.
After the protagonists realised that hair is one thing that can be regrown, they are found in Istanbul, Turkey. Moreover, they booked a cheap hotel while they were completing the formalities of the hair clinics. The film has shown no real indication of the time that passed while they stayed there for their hair transplant surgery. However, it has traced the advancement in their relationship, as they continue to learn more about each other. The hair transplant changed their lives, as they became closer than they had ever been.
Before and After Operation effects in Before/After
While an Operation is a practical and methodological procedure, the movie has also included the emotional distress of the patient. Stress can be felt when you and the performer face a language barrier. Moreover, it intensifies when the need for communication arises during the injection of hair into the patient’s scalp. This was the moment when the two men were giving each other some jerky reassurance. This is what the deep connection between them signifies, which lets them support each other even when they are drowning. Furthermore, they both lie together completely naked, exposing their vulnerability to each other. It was a new beginning for them when they lived with love and support, without the fear of society’s judgments.
Conclusion
This movie leaves an emotional message to all the viewers about a discriminatory society, which fails to recognize individuals the way they are. Moreover, society has many obligations and expectations of individuals, forcing them to become someone they aren’t.
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