A Gathering of men

Description

In this two-part program, noted American poet Robert Bly and Bill Moyers explore how men think about themselves, their fathers, their sons, and their roles in society. Bly discusses the need for intimate emotional contact between fathers and sons, and talks about how his own poor relationship with an alcoholic father deprived him of the ability to express grief. He laments the loss of meaningful rites of passage for today's young males. The influence of male mentors is discussed as important to the nurturing of sound male identity. The male tendency to confuse manliness with physically aggressive behavior is equated with inadequate fathering. The notion of the warrior, instilled in younger men by mentors, is discussed as a character-building element that helps young males recognize behavioral boundaries. A group of men at a workshop share with Moyers their concerns about their own male-to-male relationships, and their confusion over their role in society.

Runtime

50 min

Subjects

Contributor

Genre

Date of Publication

[2006], c1990

Database

Films on Demand

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