How to Lose Your Virginity 2013
Distributed by Women Make Movies, 115 W. 29th Street, Suite 1200,New York, NY, 10001; 212-925-0606
Produced by Therese Shechter & Lisa Esselstein
Directed by Therese Shechter
DVD , color and b&w, 66 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Feminism, Reproductive Rights, Sexual Behavior, Sexuality
Date Entered: 01/02/2014
Reviewed by Kathleen Spring, Nicholson Library, Linfield College, McMinnville, ORHow do you make an engaging film about a high-stakes concept for which there is no accepted definition? Director Therese Shechter takes one part feminist theory, mixes in one part social history, adds one part personal narrative, and throws in several dashes of wry humor in her attempt to explore the evolution and value of virginity in contemporary society in the United States. Interviews with scholars and educators, feminist activists, and members of the porn industry are interspersed with clips from classic sex education films to craft a documentary that is simultaneously heartfelt and disheartening. How to Lose Your Virginity is a wonderful addition to the conversation about virginity and sexual education seen in other documentary films such as The Purity Myth (2011), The Education of Shelby Knox (2005), Virgin Tales (2012), and What Is a Virgin? (2011). This film would be beneficial for both academic and public libraries and should be required viewing in sex education classes in schools. Mature themes.