Utopians Trailer (2015)

Trailer for Utopians, which screened at PSIFF.

An exotic story of a young man's sexual awakening introduces us to Hins, a student in his final year of school, who finds himself drawn to a new male professor despite his personal misgivings and his straight-and-narrow upbringing.

The new Philosophy professor, Ming, introduces himself to his class by making his own viewpoint regarding sex very clear: he’s a free-thinker who is unabashed about his own pan-sexuality and his belief that everyone has the capacity to love both men and women. Hins, who lately has been having very vivid dreams involving sex with both genders, is naturally drawn to Ming despite his longtime girlfriend’s obvious disdain for the man, and goes to visit him at the professor’s private office. Thus begins a courtship that ends in ways neither might have anticipated.

Scud, the director of Utopians, has always been labeled "controversial". Having seen his previous films banned in territories such as China, he has openly stated that he expects the same treatment for Utopians. Having watched the trailer, one can assume rightly so. The director promises the film will not only be a discussion of sexual freedom, but will also broach subjects such as religion, philosophy and politics; all while attempting to keep a comedic edge.

Seeing that the film is full of sexual content and nudity, it makes sense that the only honest trailer for Utopians would be a red band one.

The trailer is so gratuitous one would think they are watching another Nymphomaniac installment from Lars Von Trier. While I have no issue against seeing a film about a sexual awakening, it looks like the "utopia" imagined in Utopians requires one to be either homosexual or at least bi-sexual. Either way, expect lots of scissering.