Let’s Talk about Sex – A Century of Sex Education

  • Silbersalz

An exciting and insightful journey through 100 years of sex education - as well as a perfect reflection of the major changes that have taken place in society as a whole. The series illuminates the fascinating interplay between values, morals, and innovations and our ever-changing attitudes toward relationships and sexuality.

Year

2022

Length

90 min / 2x52 min

Director

Ina Kessebohm, Nadine Neumann & Cosima Dannoritzer

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Synopsis

The history of sex education in the 20th century is a perfect mirror of the great social upheavals that have occurred in society as a whole-whether social, political, economic, or technological-and our ever-evolving attitudes toward relationships and sexuality.

This series is therefore nothing less than the story of 100 years of social change as seen through the lens of sex education.

Since the beginning of Western civilization, the main purpose of sex education has been to maintain existing power structures. It has been used by the church and state to gain control over people and their private lives, to maintain patriarchal power structures, and even to fuel capitalism. Sex education has been used to suppress people’s dreams, to control and shame women’s bodies, and to protect the heteronormative order.

These conservative power structures are now being confronted by progressive Enlightenment pioneers. Their weapons: Uncensored access to information; technological and scientific progress; political upheaval; new, alternative lifestyles tried in practice and challenging the status quo.

The story of sex education is the age-old struggle of conservative powers against the desire for consciousness, freedom, and happiness, played out anew each and every decade against the shifting backdrop of social change.

With a twinkle in our eye, we talk about the enlightenment of young people, about sex and sexuality in our 2-part series. But we also want to make people think, because the struggle for enlightenment is also a struggle for information and for equality.

Directed By

Ina Kessebohm
Nadine Neumann
Cosima Dannoritzer

Written By

Ina Kessebohm
Nadine Neumann

Cinematographer

Christoph Rohrscheidt
Jordi Esglea
René Munder
Nikola Krivokuca
Dirk Heuer

Sound

Elvis Cosz
Nicolas Winkelhahn
Elena Coderech
Moritz Holch
Lukas Röhrdanz
Richard Koburg

Editors

Alfredo Castro De Ortigoza
Lisa Friedhofen
Marion Pohlschmidt

Graphics

Pauline Branke

Research

Cosima Dannoritzer

Original Music

Paul Timmich
Dorian Behner
aulodion

Mix/Sound Design

Pierre Brand

Speaker

Sabine Heinrich

Archive Producer

Thorben Bockelmann
Nicolas Winkelhahn

Scientific Advisor

Lutz Sauerteig

Production Management

Juliane Hribar (GBF)
Wolfram Gumpert-Brewitt

Production Assistants

Florian Tropp
Callum Ward
Natalie Haft

Editorial WDR

Christiane Hinz & Jutta Krug

Editorial NDR

Dirk Neuhoff

Editorial SVT

Mikkael Österby

Executive Producers

Reinhardt Beetz
Bettina Walter

A production by gebrüder beetz filmproduktion
Produced for WDR/ARTE, CCMA/TV3, SVT, TG4, LTV
In co-production with BWP PRODUCTIONS, WDR, NDR, ARTE, OTF
Funded by nordmedia

Let’s Talk About Sex – A Century of Sex Education
Trailer

In co-production with

In cooperation with

  • TV3
  • SVT
  • DR
  • TV4

Funded by