The Big V

Michelle Welygan/Erin Mussolum
Artizan Productions
47 minutes • 2004
Also available on DVD

This bold documentary tackles head on popular misconceptions about virginity. A host of celibate men and women—in their teens, twenties, thirties and beyond (!)—talk candidly about the choice to abstain. For some it's a question of emotional health; for some, a matter of culture; and for others, a choice to honour spiritual beliefs.

A pop-culture critic looks at standard virgin interpretations in the arguably sex-obsessed media. A 21-year-old university student shares surprising views on masturbation and reveals his fear of being thought a freak. A 30-something gay man looks at the all-too-common stereotype that homosexual means promiscuous, but admits he's holding out for love. Born-again virgins address the spectre of their sexual past. A self-professed sex addict talks about the painful process of recovery. A young Muslim woman argues that she's choosing culture over sex by undergoing hymen reconstruction. These virgins examine the Big V from every vantage point, but for all of them…it's not about losing it, it's about keeping it!

Subject(s): Sexuality