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Half of It Is Gone (2015)

Students film Duration 27:44

Plot summary

The path to become a man.
In Turkey, all guy relatives are joking with boys about the sexual organ. It is always emphasized that being a man is so much related with the penis. The idea of penis as the most important organ for the boys is put to children’s mind with these kinds of jokes by uncles, fathers and so on. Finally, the big day comes and people tell the children that we have to cut some piece of it when the children are between 6 - 8 years old. And this becomes a big shock for the children. The organ that was considered as the most important one will be cut. However, that is the only way to become a real man. There is no escape from it.
The film examines circumcision via telling the story of the director’s own experience. The story includes every step of the circumcision. The rituals that people do before circumcision, the circumcision operation itself and also footages from the celebration. The voice-over leads the movie with sense of humour.
At the movie two approaches are merged; human story with the director’s own experience and popular-scientific story.
There are three aspects of circumcision included in the story; religion, medicine, psychology.
The Imam (prayer leader in Islam) explains the reasons and importance of circumcision according to Islam. Through the movie there is explained how it is taking part in the religion, the reason behind it, also the basis of the idea of circumcision.
Circumcision in medicine world is still an arguable topic. Is it healthy or is it unhealthy? There are different opinions on it. The doctor explains if it is medically necessary or not from his perspective. He also mentions the opposite ideas on the circumcision. Different opinions are discussed in the scientific frame.
To bring a scientific perspective to the movie, the psychologist talks about the effects of circumcision on children psychology, possible traumas and the right age range to do it.
People who have experienced circumcision are also included as interviewees. All the interviewees are asked the same questions. Interviewees of different ages were chosen on purpose to compare the way circumcision is experienced by different generations.

Keywords: man | psühholoogia  | religion | health | traditions | ümberlõikamine | View all »

Partners and Sponsors

  • Kultuuriministeerium
  • EFI
  • Eesti Kultuurkapital
  • ERR
  • Rahvusarhiiv
  • BFM
  • Kinoliit
  • Eesti Filmiajakirjanike ühing
  • Tallinnfilm