ASKING4IT

A body-swap short film, written and directed by filmmaker Emma Jesse, utilises this powerful storytelling technique to explore concerning themes of consent, sexism, and objectification.

Dave (Aaron Blake - brilliant in His Hands) wakes to a startling discovery. Looking back at him in the mirror is not the man with facial hair he is used to, but instead a “smoking hot” female (Antonia Whilans). After jiggling his chest a little and making a quick exit from the apartment he’s in (to the sounds of the female occupant calling the police, who clearly went to bed with a man the night before and woke with a woman), Dave hits the town to taste life as a woman.

Whilst the benefits draw initial appeal - free savaloys and quick entry into a club - the downsides quickly become apparent. From lewd comments and unwanted attention to much worse, Dave’s journey becomes increasingly hostile and dangerous.

With a strong production quality and impressive performances, ASKING4IT is a worthy short film to seek out. Blake handles the majority of the screen time, putting in a well-balanced performance that feels bold and refreshing. He handles the film’s lighter moments of comedy brilliantly, such as trying on clothes and flirting with perverts, and is more than capable when things get dark.

Deliberately provocative, the idea of blame is highlighted, and the script purposely muddies the water to ensure audience debate will rage. By living out his own male fantasy, should Dave’s attempts to dress sexily and skip queues (and paying) be met with the consequences he faced? Is he indeed asking for it? Or is the culture of unsolicited sexual advances so ingrained in our lives that we have become numb to the abject horror of it?

The pacing of the short film is quite frenetic. Dave steams quickly into the experiment of his body swap without questioning the reasoning behind it. The majority of ASKING4IT feels like a night out montage, and the moments of reflection and pathos are perhaps too few and far between. Had Dave as a character been explored more, in terms of his social standing and community, we could have felt a deeper connection to his female journey and how different his experience is as a woman.

Overall, though, a powerful and moving short film that feels as tragically relevant as it is potent. Whilst the comment section wars continue, ASKING4IT feels like a creative and fresh perspective to offer audiences, enabling them to get a mirror held up to them, if only for 16 minutes.