Damien Hauser's direction sparks a conversation in Sala Galileo: "Let us strive to talk about our insecurities to avoid negative and traumatic experiences.", where dozens of jurors watched Theo - A Conversation with Honesty, a film in competition for Generator +18. The theme is the whirlwind of relationships and contradictions, approaches and anxiety for change that accompany the world of youth, a reality in constant flux. Simi is a shy and insecure 18-year-old who decides to lose his virginity pushed by his more experienced friends. He chooses Tamara, a schoolmate. What happens? Social media are in the background, present in a disruptive and conditioning way in their lives. "Social often magnifies and makes things worse," the jurors say. It also happens in the film. "The first sexual encounter between the two becomes a viral topic online. The consequence is that Simi goes into total confusion. One question is intertwined with another: is it likely that Simi did not realize that Tamara was not consenting? Again, mixed views in the audience: the girl did not say no to him, did not resist him, but neither did she ever explicitly consent. And then there is the role of the peer group, of friends. Simi is made to believe that everything can be given to a man, and that the feelings of others matter little. The turning point comes after she meets a feminist friend, Leona. At this point Simi becomes aware of himself, of his role and reality". The jurors in the room get the director's message: "The film is an invitation to open up to others and to communicate doubts, feelings, and insecurities. In this way it is possible to avoid experiencing trauma, such as rape".
