The Smell of Burning Ants is a haunting account of the pains and trauma of growing up male. It evocatively presents the inner and outer cruelties that boys perpetrate and endure. Rather than glorifying and romanticizing boyhood, this film opens up wounds to let the poisons out. Without giving answers we are asked to look at the ways in which boys are deprived of wholeness. Following 'the boy' through each formative sequence of his life, we see how men become emotionally disconnected and cut off from their feminine side. The sacred dismissal "boys will be boys" evolves into a chilling realization that these boys are becoming angry, destructive, emotionally disabled men. They are socialized by fear, power, force and shame. The boy in the film is carried along by the crowd, detached but feigning interest to fit in. What begins as the desire for acceptance during boys' play becomes self-preservation in light of the violence inflicted on those who are different. The burning of ants is just one metaphor for the impact that this violence is having on all of us. Though focused on the painful aspects of male socialization, the film also blends in subtle humor and moments of boyhood celebration. The Smell of Burning Ants straddles the fine line of entertaining while educating, provoking and providing an opportunity to begin the healing process.
