On Tender Hooks

Kate Shenton's documentary about people who practice body suspension—i.e., being hoisted into the air on cables, via hooks inserted into their skin—will certainly cause many viewers to squirm. The sequences capturing the process—carefully making incisions into which hooks are placed—are graphic. But On Tender Hooks is not exploitative: Shenton is clearly trying to understand the motives behind this strange ritual. Not surprisingly, they're varied. For some, it engenders a sense of community, particularly since body suspension requires a high degree of trust in other people. Others find that being suspended allows them to overcome trauma and experience release from emotional pain. And there are those for whom it's simply the next logical step after body piercing. Body suspension attracts a great deal of suspicion and scorn from outsiders, and is too readily associated with notions of perversion and sexual deviance. Shenton aims to overturn those misconceptions, while also providing an approximation of the actual experience by undergoing it herself—a process that the camera records. Definitely not for the squeamish, this is still an intriguing exploration of a little-known, and even less appreciated, subculture. Extras include audio commentary by Shenton, and three short films. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)