Synopsis: In this film we embed with a nudist club located in upstate New York for a weekend to explore why they feel more comfortable with their clothes off rather than on. As we journey into a risqué sub culture, we learn that this world has less to do with being nude and more to do with accepting who you are at the core. Director Jonny Kapps. Editor Rachel Warren
Send Nudes is a common request to come across online for some who call themselves nudists and even naturists while seeking to harvest photos of naked people for their collections. Now it is also the second movie to have those two provocative words as a title. The first was a documentary. This eight minute short finds a film crew self embedded in a naturist club. Bear Lake Naturist Club in Corning New York to be specific. It features three couples including the husband and wife owner operators of the club sharing their experiences as nudists.
The owners share their intention of providing a space for others to experience the clothes free way of life at a lower price point than typical resorts. Right up front they tackle the issue of non sexual nature of social nudity. Despite that there is a fair amount of sensual touching and a few shots of body parts that seem intentionally titillating.
It isn’t clear to this reviewer that any of the crew actually get undressed and on camera in the hot tub and bath tubs scenes that seem to account for the risqué description in the movie’s synopsis. The rest of the film is just ordinary people doing life without clothing on. They drink coffee, hug, sing, play musical instruments, dance, and laugh. The only thing that makes any difference at all is all this happens without anyone wearing clothes. Still as one of the women narrates near the end it really is more about connection than nakedness.
It really doesn’t have anything to do with us being naked … you can just be who you are and that’s all it is.
The movie under the direction of Jonny Kapps is good quality, shot on the grounds of though some of the scene cuts seem a little rough. It could use some post production titling. Overall, I like this movie for the nonchalant way it handles social nudity. It doesn’t pretend nudists are sensual and sexual being but it also doesn’t wallow in the hyper sexually commonly associated with nudity today. It could be a good discussion starter for a group exploring naturism as a way of life. Share your review in the comments
