Retardation is the second short film in the Male Nature Studies series. The first film, Rebirth, was produced in 2018 and is also distributed by Filmform. In these films, Nils Agdler examines alternative approaches to what is popularly called ”toxic masculinity”. In today’s society, it has a great impact as a negative male role model, which could be expressed as a desire to constantly compete against and to dominate, both other people and the non-human.

Retardation takes its starting point in the emerging research field “Ecological masculinities”, which is influenced by masculinities politics, deep ecology, ecological feminism and feminist care theory. ”The Great Acceleration” gained momentum in the 1950s with the Western man at the wheel. The growth curves turned sharply upwards and so did, and still do, the human impact on the biosphere. But what if this man begins to see himself as a small part of nature instead of striving to “conquer” it? What if he abandons the pursuit of status and the ever-expanding claims to power? What if he slows down and throws his paralyzing yoke? Is he still a Man then?

In Retardation, Nils Agdler visualizes ideas of another future man – the resigned man, the regressed man, the liberated man, and possibly – the last man.

The film is also available in a looped version, which in an exhibition context can be screened in the form of an installation, preferably in combination with Rebirth.