Now Streaming: Sons Asks What It Means to Raise a Child in the Age of Trump

Someone in the programming department at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has a great sense of humour. The same day at that the world endures Donald J. Trump’s second presidential inauguration, the Board is releasing a documentary about what it means to raise a son in the age of heightened toxic masculinity. Sons, now streaming for free at NFB.ca, follows director Justin Simms on a deeply personal journey as he becomes a father. It’s a worthwhile tool, and not simply one for parents. Anyone can absorb the film’s larger message about what it means to be a respectful member of society and reflect back to the world the positive image that we want to see.

Simms actually situates the 2016 birth of his son Jude within the context of Trump’s turbulent first election and reign of terror in office. The director steps back and considers how one inspires a child to develop his sense of self when media, and culture more broadly, boasts a chorus of problematic influences.

He returns home and takes stock of his own childhood, having been raised by a father who was kicked out of his own home at age 14 when his step-mother simply didn’t want to be a parent. The advice “I hope you do this better than I did” that he receives from his father echoes throughout the film as one generation seeks to improve upon the other. This in turn reveals a touching message: one can never by fully prepared to impart a lifetime of wisdom, but the responsibility of ongoing self-reflection is universal.

“Masculinity is in crisis, Simms concludes, while assessing the vitriol of the Trump age,” said POV in its review of the film. “Willow, Jude’s mom, reminds Simms that masculinity can be beautiful. As Simms interviews his wife for perspectives on parenting, she shares that it’s important to nurture boys and girls alike in a healthy and open way. If parents tell their daughters that they can do anything they set their minds to, telling boys to do the same benefits everyone.”

Let’s hope the White House knows that Sons is just a click away at NFB.ca.

Watch Sons below:

Sons, Justin Simms, provided by the National Film Board of Canada