Teenage
Once, "teenagers" didn't exist. But then, they were invented. As the cultural landscape around the world was thrown into turmoil during the industrial revolution, and with a chasm erupting between adults and youth, the concept of a new generation took shape. Whether in America, England, or Germany, this was a new idea of how people come of age.
| Director | Matt Wolf |
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In Teenage, Matt Wolf paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of adolescence and its evolution during the first half of the 20th century. Adapted from historian Jon Savage’s book Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture, 1875-1945, the film reminds us that the very notion of adolescence didn’t really exist before child labor in factories was banned in the West. From that moment on, teenagers became more numerous and gained the power to influence the course of events. While some joined the Hitler Youth, others resisted, engaged in left-wing activism, and embraced the rhythms of swing music and American jazz.
Set to Bradford Cox’s hypnotic score, Teenage is primarily composed of rich archival footage but also includes fictionalized sequences shot on Super 8, illustrating the lives of various protagonists. Rather than interviewing sociologists and academics, Wolf chooses to tell the story of adolescence through images themselves and through voice-over testimonies, read by actors, taken from diary excerpts written by young people of the time. The result is a fascinating documentary, infused with a rebellious, contagious, and defiant energy—one that unmistakably echoes the spirit of youth itself.
Jean-Philippe Desrochers
Critic
-
English
1h18
Language: English -
Français
1h18
Language: Français
Subtitles: Français
- Année 2014
- Pays United-States
- Durée 78
- Producteur Cinereach
- Langue English
- Sous-titres French
- Résumé court Teenagers didn't always exist. They had to be invented. A fascinating look at the past and the very idea of “coming-of-age”.
- Ordre 1
In Teenage, Matt Wolf paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of adolescence and its evolution during the first half of the 20th century. Adapted from historian Jon Savage’s book Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture, 1875-1945, the film reminds us that the very notion of adolescence didn’t really exist before child labor in factories was banned in the West. From that moment on, teenagers became more numerous and gained the power to influence the course of events. While some joined the Hitler Youth, others resisted, engaged in left-wing activism, and embraced the rhythms of swing music and American jazz.
Set to Bradford Cox’s hypnotic score, Teenage is primarily composed of rich archival footage but also includes fictionalized sequences shot on Super 8, illustrating the lives of various protagonists. Rather than interviewing sociologists and academics, Wolf chooses to tell the story of adolescence through images themselves and through voice-over testimonies, read by actors, taken from diary excerpts written by young people of the time. The result is a fascinating documentary, infused with a rebellious, contagious, and defiant energy—one that unmistakably echoes the spirit of youth itself.
Jean-Philippe Desrochers
Critic
-
English
Duration: 1h18Language: English1h18 -
Français
Duration: 1h18Language: Français
Subtitles: Français1h18
- Année 2014
- Pays United-States
- Durée 78
- Producteur Cinereach
- Langue English
- Sous-titres French
- Résumé court Teenagers didn't always exist. They had to be invented. A fascinating look at the past and the very idea of “coming-of-age”.
- Ordre 1
