Manifestation

Why can’t men be vulnerable? Manifestation explores the various traumas inflicted on men, including circumcision, military service and ‘hyper-masculinity’. The film follows three men from three different countries, Israel, Greece, the United States and studies the harmful cultures they experience surrounding their masculinity.

  • Aidan Kaye
    Director
    Read @ 12:35am, Jaywalkers
  • Devon Narine-Singh
    Producer
  • William Kaye
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Tomer Nitzan
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Leor Freedman
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Aviva Frank
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Christos Adrianopoulos
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 25, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    800 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece, Israel, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Mini Dv
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Aidan Kaye

Aidan Kaye is a New York City-based multifaceted artist, photographer, and experimental filmmaker. Graduating with a BFA in Film from SUNY Purchase in 2020, he has worked on several award-winning documentaries, including Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Fall of James Brown. In 2019, he won best student film at Peekskill Film Festival and won best experimental film at the SUNY Wide Film Festival for his film Read @ 12:35AM. While freelancing in several creative industries, partaking in group gallery showcases and screenings he continues to make films and site specific work that deal with themes of youth, fatherhood, and technology.

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Director Statement

Growing up, I always knew my father was against circumcision. Coming from a long line of Russian Jews, he was sort of an outcast in the family for it. Whenever I talked to him recently though, all he really talked about is his newfound passion - publicly denouncing the practice of circumcision. After following his stories of the so-called 'intactivism' for so long, I felt it was about time to turn my camera towards him and see where this story all began.

While filming him, I found it increasingly interesting how much he talked about how the practice he felt shaped him as a man. The whole concept of a loss of masculinity and vulnerability drove me to wonder where these ideas started in my father. It brought me to try to investigate how it related to me, close men in my life and my Jewishness as a whole.

This film is a journey of discovery and self-evaluation, that tries to get in the mind of a few men and how they feel about their 'masculinity'. The film travels back and forth across the globe, searching for answers to the challenging questions of why we do certain things to men internationally.