Australian
Screen

Not in Front of the Kids evolved out of bRitt Arthur’s work for an honours thesis in Screen Arts. In the course of her research she found that many of the subjects would make strong characters for a documentary. The result is a compassionate and frank documentary about a section of our community that does not ordinarily get a lot of airtime. For a fifteen-minute documentary bRitt Arthur covers a lot of emotional ground. The film introduces nine characters through a series of vignettes in which they share their thoughts on sexuality, intimacy, relationships, ageing and wellbeing. These characters are extremely frank – displaying a real trust and openness between filmmaker and participant, and are clearly interested in projecting a positive image of people in their later years. Their insights are refreshing and challenge common misconceptions about the sexuality of people aged over sixty.

The physical body is consciously framed by bRitt Arthur’s camera in intimate close-ups (which focus on hands, eyes, etc) or in activities not usually displayed on screen (in the shower, at a massage, in a swimming class). The ageing body here is not one in deterioration, but one still in a process of growth and change. This is such a delicate portrayal, rarely seen in either Australian documentary or feature film. The films of Paul Cox Innocence (2000) and Human Touch (2004), are notable exceptions.