An ode to being 15 in the pre-internet age | Venetian Men

Venetian Men takes viewers on a whirlwind trip through 1990s Europe – a time and place when unbridled freedom reigned supreme. Recalling an adventure from her home in south London to Venice and back, Celia Willis’s exuberant account of being 15 in the pre-internet age is flavoured with the adage that life was simpler – and certainly more fun – back then.

‘We don’t realise it won’t always be like this…’
Commemorating an era when life was documented on rolls of film rather than Instagram, this portrait of being 15 in the 1990s takes viewers back to when unbridled freedom reigned supreme. The English director Celia Willis’s short film centres on a whirlwind trip from her home in south London to Venice, weaving a tapestry of memories into a narrative poem that’s part lament, part celebration. Prefaced with a note about today’s technology-ridden world, the window into her youth is flavoured with the old adage that life was simpler – and certainly more fun – back then.
‘It’s the joy of doing all the things that aren’t meant for us,’ Willis says, recounting how she and some friends spontaneously booked their trip and set out on their adventure. Unbothered by the responsibilities of adulthood, their boundless trust, curiosity and innocence lead them to ‘fall in love with Italian men’ and ‘smoke and sing Bob Barley songs’ with strangers. Reenactments of teenage girls twirling around a pastel-tinted bedroom in baggy jeans and flannel shirts, together with archival imagery – including snapshots of the many handsome European men they met along the way – evoke the aesthetics of the age, imbuing the piece with an infectious, nostalgic energy. An affectionate ode to the fearlessness and enduring friendships that can characterise the teenage years, the film is a worthy trip, no matter your background – although it may leave viewers of a certain age yearning for their youth and smiling in recognition.

[Tekistry]

As an 80's child myself and a dad of a girl born in 2000 I found this really touching - and it made me feel nostalgic and Old.

[MDE]

Agnes Yorke looks so much like her father Thom Yorke. She’s basically a girl version of him. Her voice sounds kind of like him in a feminine way. This video gave me Fitter Happier vibes.

[mochimochi]

I was 15 in 1976 and I remember those experiences and all the feelings that went with them.

[pomikip]

i was a 15 yo in 2020 it felt like a void, hope my next life be like this

[guida]

This was really beautiful and made me yearn for that feeling again, as someone who has been feeling generally nostalgic as it is and having a lot of sensory memories from young teen years lately.

[tattooedgirl]

Wow, this was beyond amazing! By the end of it had me crying. I was 15 around 2004 and had a similar experience just in boring ohio! There really is something about that age, just as you described. I looked like I was 20 when I was 15, so I got in everywhere and always hugnout with a lot older crowd with my friends. It was awesome for the most part, except the men as you also described perfectly. It really is heartbreaking at that age when your friendship that you thought would last forever and stay the same changes because of the dynamics of men and women as they get older. Innocence is so fleeting, but god is it beautiful while it lasts! Thank you for bringing me down memory lane to reminisce about the days when boys and adults were our playthings but in an innocent way!

[DevoteeOfAergia]

This is not the first time I've heard British people reminiscing about the 90s with an almost reverential tone. Was it really that good there then?

[eugene.ivanov]

Такой бред. В 15 лет в 1990 годы дети сидели дома и читали книги, а не вот этот весь бред про вечеринки.