by Lleyton Hughes
A Sexplanation, which is directed, produced, co-written, co-edited and stars health reporter Alex Liu, is a documentary that both aims to promote sexual health and teach others how to achieve it in a time where we are so often miseducated.
“I really wanted to tell a much bigger story about how our culture is failing us around sex education,” said Liu.
Liu identifies sexual health as a key issue in the world today, and uses his own experiences, which led him close to suicide, as proof.
“From 13 to 17, I was suicidal because I realised I was gay. Coming out of the closet at 17 was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. What I didn’t realise in hindsight was that coming out of the closet didn’t solve all my sexual issues,” he said.
“It was just the beginning of a long process of understanding what true sexual health really looks like.”
Liu’s personal story is an integral part of the film, but he reveals that he did struggle with the idea of exposing himself to so many people, but believes the film wouldn’t have worked without it.
“People are drawn to stories with characters who undergo clear narrative arcs. I’m not sure why I thought I could get away with a film that didn’t do that — other than abject fear of being so exposed,” he said.
Ultimately, Liu had to practice what he was preaching by opening himself up in an attempt to inspire others to do the same, and he believes it paid off.
“It was terrifying, but … the responses I’ve gotten from family and friends have been wonderful, and I feel less shame about sex than I ever have in my life. “
Another prominent feature of the film was its small touches of animation, which Liu hoped would promote a more positive conversation around sexual health.
“My hope was that by presenting some bright, cheerful, and fun animations about sex, I could get people to see it’s healthier to frame sex around joy in our cultural conversations rather than fear. Because isn’t that how sex should be?”
Ultimately, Liu hopes that the people who see his film will be more confident and open about their sexual health, because in his opinion that is the only way things can get better.
“The only thing “normal” about human sexuality is that we’re all different. But staying silent about who you are and what you want is damaging, so my advice is to take the tiny baby steps you can today to find the people who will support you and your sexual health.”
A Sexplanation premiered at the Queer Screen Film Fest, and the full interview of our chat with Alex is below.
When did you know that this film was something you wanted to make?
“When I first started as a health reporter in 2010, I was always pitching stories about the latest sex research — and basically none of them made it to air. So, in 2012 I started a YouTube channel, The Science of Sin, as a fun outlet to report on sex research. But I realised what I really wanted to tell was a much bigger story about how our culture is failing us around sex education, and here we are.”
Was it challenging to try and get your friends and family involved in this project?
“Much easier than I anticipated! I think once I explained my motivations (and how much I was planning to reveal about myself) — people quickly saw the value. I’m also just lucky to have amazing friends and family.”
Was your family reluctant to have themselves put in a movie talking about sex?
“Apprehensive might be the better word. It’s very vulnerable to put yourself in the hands of an editor! But they were the first people to see the final cut of the film and I promised I would take anything out that they didn’t approve of. Again, I’m lucky that my family understood what I was trying to do and how our relationship helps make the movie connect with audiences. They didn’t ask me to cut a single frame.”
What was the making of this film like? Did you ever have doubts about it?
“So many doubts! I still have so many doubts! It was a 6 year process from the first dollar being raised to the first film festival submission. This is not my full-time job, so it was definitely stressful. You question every decision — especially with a topic like sex. Will audiences be too disgusted? Will they come along with you on the journey? But I’m so proud of my team for sticking with the process and so happy with the finished product.”
You are featured in the film quite heavily and had to be extremely open and vulnerable. What was this like?
“My wonderful writing partner, Leonardo Neri, is responsible for all the heart and humour of the film. At first, the film was just a straightforward educational documentary about some cool research. About halfway through the process, he kept asking me why I was making this film, and I kept talking about all the rage I carry about how I was made to feel ashamed about my sexuality. He convinced me that by revealing my story, audiences would be more open to the messages and themes I was trying to convey. It was terrifying, but he was right. The responses I’ve gotten from family and friends have been wonderful, and I feel less shame about sex than I ever have in my life.”
What is next for you?
“We’re so happy the film is in Australia, soon we’ll be at film festivals in Europe and South America. From there, hopefully the film finds a global home so more people can see it. I’m interested in how we have difficult but productive discussions that are taboo in polite conversation — sex, religion, politics — so I’m sure any future projects will tackle all three of those topics again.”
A Sexplanation is available on Digital from June 6, 2022