The new Gobelins school short Layla, co-directed by six students — Oscar Baron, Diego H. Blanco, Emma Ferréol, Rachel Gitlevich, Lucille Reynaud, and Narda Rodriguez — offers a refreshingly different take on teen sexuality.
Visually inspired by late 1990s Cartoon Network shows, the short follows a trio of tough-talking preteens who purchase a sex robot so they can lose their virginity. However, when the moment arrives, they quickly realize they might have taken on more than they can handle.
The short evokes John Hughes’s 1985 teen comedy Weird Science, which tells the story of two virginal nerds who use their computer skills to create the “perfect woman.” Unsurprisingly, things don’t go as planned.
Layla explores similar territory but with far less ickiness and sexism, opting instead for realism and compassion. It serves as a poignant reminder that it’s okay to be young and innocent, to savor the moment you’re in without rushing into life’s complexities. There’s plenty of time to face the challenges and headaches of adulthood.
The short also subtly addresses the unrelenting pressures of masculinity and the accompanying myths and nonsense that often come with societal expectations, offering a thoughtful critique within its narrative.
