Soul-baring on the part of its subject and director (Zanah Thirus), Unlearning Sex is an intimate documentary short that manages to cover a lot of ground in its brief running time. The film opens with a personal talk from Thirus, who has just scheduled her first appointment with a therapist in years. She is direct with viewers about her goals with this documentary—to record her personal journey through sexual trauma therapy and to share insights from therapists, educators, and activists.
What follows are snippets from Thirus’ six-month healing process. We hear audio clips from discussions between herself and her therapist, which are the most constructive parts of the film. These provide a valuable inside look into a process many find intimidating. Thirus’ openly sharing her undertaking is a step in making therapy seem accessible and without shame.
She digs into familial conflict and wrestles with how her homeschooled, religious background adversely impacted how prepared she was for “the real world.” By the end of this six-month period, we see a tangible difference in her outlook. The conversations she hosts with experts in the field are well-shot and insightful, if somewhat surface level, but Thirus herself is the real star for the sharing of her personal growth.
Thirus later chooses skydiving as a therapeutic exercise to reclaim her body in a completely consensual way. It’s this newfound self-confidence—the same that allows Thirus to confront her past and let go of self-blame—that makes the actress/director’s transformation so engrossing.
Unlearning Sex doesn’t provide a deep dive into learning everything related to sex therapy and sexual assault, but it rings authentic as an “I’ve been there” assurance to its viewers and an encouragement for others to seek therapy after traumatic experiences.
This is a helpful movie for the purposes of destigmatizing therapy and giving sexual assault survivors a figure to relate to. It’s a beneficial viewing experience for anyone for this reason and a great addition to documentary and self-help shelves. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P.