SEX + '68 – TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN

1968 was an extraordinary year: there were revolts, unrest and putsch attempts all over the world.   A big wave towards liberation moved from Young America back to Old Europe. The liberation moved against bans, constraints and the hostility towards the natural (nude) form.

A central element of this wave, and one with enormous explosive potential, was the so called "Sexual Revolution". It gripped the politically engaged students of the years around 68. They rebelled against the "establishment" as well as the society around them.    The "sex wave" could not be stopped and caused dispute amongst family members and in the legislative bodies.

The occurrences of '68 did not come out of nowhere. They have to be seen in the context of the fifties. Whether in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, England or the United States, the situation was the same everywhere. After WWII people reawakened a very conservative view on sexuality against which the youth finally rebelled.

Parallel to that there existed sub cultural movements like the "Existentialists" in France, the "Beatniks" in the US and the "Halbstarken" in Germany that became the inspiration and the forerunners of the "Revolution of 68".

The Revolution left its mark on the following years into the seventies and further. Looking back from the perspective of today the men and women of 68 appear to be dreamers and losers, considering their unredeemed wishes and promises. However, looking at the movements following the 68's, like Feminism, the thrust towards modernity can be called a "successful failure".

The perception of sexuality in the 80's and 90's is even more dramatic than during the "Revolution of 68". On the whole, there is a shift in perception. Sexuality lost its profound symbolic character and therefore cannot be taken as the liberating power to emancipate one's social and personal life.

Today, the "Neo-sexual Revolution" with its constant bombardment of sexual stimuli is changing the perception of sexuality and the relation between the sexes with it. Some people even like to resurrect the values of the fifties as a counter-movement beside the non-committal sexual relationships.

The film investigates in a flashlight-like quality the Zeitgeist before, during and after the Sexual Revolution of 68". About the "68" can be said as can be said about many a myth: every following generation will see it in a different light. Protagonists of three generations and various countries will talk about "68" and how their perception of sexuality has changed over the years.

A film by ARTE / WDR, 2008
90 min. documentary

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