Ab Film Review & The Last New Wave

Gianluca Matarrese's gentle documentary Gen_ opens with overwhelming images of planets and stars. Or are they cells and aspects of human biology? As we lean in to the screen, curious about what we're seeing, the title, Gen, that's gen with an underscore, flits on screen, with a rotation appendage of possible word creations: genesis, genitals, genetics, generation, genealogy, gender, genes.Overlaying this is a chaos of noise and radio chatter from around the globe. European figures discuss trans rights, while American voices talk about reproductive rights. The message is clear: women's bodies are being controlled globally.Gianluca asks us to consider the weight of these words and these voices momentarily before he introduces us to Dr Bini, a kind, considerate, and ageing doctor near retirement. Dr Bini works in Milan's Niguarda public hospital tending to patients who are undergoing reproductive technology procedures or gender confirmation surgery.Over the next 100 or so minutes, Gianluca observes quietly and l