Tag Archive: Adolescence


400 BLOWS FOR FREEDOM

Filed under: Movies — Leave a comment
September 12, 2012

LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (The 400 Blows) directed by François Truffaut (France, 1959)

TruffautI don’t speak French, but I am reliably informed (by Wiki!) that the original title of this brilliant movie comes from an expression meaning ‘to raise hell’.

To call the 12-year-old Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) a hell raiser is a bit of an exaggeration. He is disruptive and difficult but he is a good-hearted kid whose transgressive behaviour shows a keen intelligence more than a malevolent spirit.

His rebellion against the soul-destroying school system and oppressive home environment seems a wholly justified quest for a non-institutionalised education that teaches him more than simply how to conform.

We see him playing truant, sneaking into cinemas and embarking on a non too successful career as a petty criminal.

Truffaut’s remarkably assured debut is loosely based on his own life and fulfilled his aim to show adolescence “as the painful experience that it is”. Continue reading →

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SHAPING UP TO TEENAGE ANXIETY

Filed under: Gender, Health and fitness, Parenting, Television — Leave a comment
July 12, 2012

“In the USA anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents”. This is one of the disturbing facts in an article on ‘body-bashing’ in Teenvogue.

It’s ironic to find a piece like this in a magazine which is part of the problem rather than the cure. Elsewhere in the mag there are skinny models, endless makeup tips and a tons of advice on “love, life and fashion”.  It’s the height of hypocrisy to pretend to be surprised when teens get so frantic about their physical appearance. Continue reading →

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STEFANO GIOGLI – TEENAGE KICKS

Filed under: Parenting, Photography — 2 Comments
September 13, 2011

People over 25 grew up accustomed to playing outdoors and out of sight of their parents. In contrast, today’s teenagers are more likely to stay indoors and do their interaction and exploration via the internet and social networks.

Italian photographer Stefano Giogli takes us into the private spaces of a selection of teenagers in his interesting collection entitled “L’unico ad essere diverso sei tu” (The only one who’s different is you) which I saw at this year’s Savignano Immagini Festival.

Giogli wants to present a more optimistic perspective on young adults than you tend to get via the media. He says: “I wanted to debunk the negative view that adults often have of teenagers as disinterested, all alike, without dreams or expectations.”

His pictures show young men and women, mostly alone, surrounded by their  possessions and in spaces that reflect the diversity of personalities. Some are stark while others seem positively luxurious. Many have written slogans on the wall (or, in one case, on the windows) or have assembled a highly personal collection of images cut from magazines.

The young guy in the photo above suggests that living in clutter can give a sense of comfort.

The subjects of Giogli’s pictures are all fortunate in having a private space in which they can be themselves and have somewhere they can go to think, read, listen, write, play or make music.  They may not be exploring an outdoor environment but the photographs illustrate that having a ‘room of one’s own’ is a vital way to express individuality.

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