Director Bruce La Bruce's new film, "Gerontophilia," might be tamer than what you would expect from the controversial filmmaker. Still, the narrative itself is still both polarizing and compelling, having recently made waves across the Internet.
The film follows the experiences of an 18-year-old boy, Lake, as he comes to understand his attraction to older men, subsequently leading him to take a job at a retirement home. According to Towleroad, while working at the facility Lake falls for an 81-year-old man named Mr. Peabody, later coming to learn through his work that the patients are being purposefully overmedicated. Lake then tries to break Mr. Peabody free from his current circumstances and embark on a road trip across Canada.
In a recent interview with Vocativ, LaBruce opened up about his inspiration for the film and his interest in the subject matter.
"I am now middle-aged, and I hope I will run into gerontophiles in the near or distant future who will appreciate me as a sexy, stimulating and fascinating sexual object," he told Vocativ. "It’s also a good metaphor for any sort of taboo or transgressive sexual peccadillo, a celebration of anyone who goes against the grain of society or nature. Young is fun, but old is bold."
LaBruce also unpacked the concept of gerontophilia during the course of the interview and the way this form of desire guides the trajectory of the film.
The older and more wrinkled and closer to death the object of desire is, the more sexually stimulated the gerontophile. It also has to do with empathy for the aged, and an appreciation for their wisdom and experience. It’s a love of the elderly, as well as a sexual attraction. Most fetishes entail a love and respect for the object of desire, not merely a sexual attraction to it. But most people choose not to understand or believe that a fetish also has a romantic impulse.
Head here to read the interview in full.
Curious to see more from the film? Check out the trailer above and see the video below for an excerpt from "Gerontophilia."
Before You Go
