Céline Roustan
When Steven, Bart and Koen decide to go to Istanbul, it’s not tourism prompting the trip – it’s their receding hairlines. Away from home and their everyday lives, their vulnerabilities and insecurities can no longer be concealed. S/W alum Nicolas Keppens switches from his traditional 2D animation (Easter Eggs, Wildebeest) for stop-motion with Beautiful Men, a tender look at masculinity and brotherhood, with a dash of humor.
Keppens explained – in an interview on Directors Notes – that he got the idea when he was in Istanbul, staying in “a hotel that worked with a hair clinic”. It was the silence at breakfast, in “a room full of bald men,” that struck him. “You could feel the tension in the air because these men were there to try to solve their insecurities”. Not only was the experience touching, but it was also relatable for him. So, he set out to craft a narrative that he admits is not the most original – Sameh Alaa’s S The Wolf, Paul Cabon’s The Bald Future are obvious examples of other shorts dealing with balding men – but one that captures this rite of passage for many men and explores how it affects their sense of masculinity with tenderness.
While the film is touching and depicts the three characters with sensitivity, there is also an undeniable sense of humor running through the narrative. A certain absurdity permeates the story, and Keppens finds the right balance in portraying how deeply their hair loss is impacting them and their confidence, while simultaneously showing the absurdity of the situation in the grand scheme of things. This contrast helps in making the film both emotionally engaging and genuinely funny.
The relationship between the three brothers is the emotional core of Beautiful Men.
With each of the three characters offering different perspectives to the narrative, the arrival of the fog works like the introduction of a fourth, influential character in the story. It forces them to come together, metaphorically representing their lack of communication and emotional isolation, while also creating a safe space for these men to be honest and vulnerable with each other.
Keppens’ decision to use stop-motion in Beautiful Men enhances the palpable, tactile quality of the film. Bodies – and our perceptions of them – are at the center of the narrative, and by using an animation technique which relies on physical puppets and sets gives the film a texture that deepens what the characters are feeling internally. It ultimately makes the film all the more emotionally compelling and rooted in authentic human experience.
After its premiere in 2023, Beautiful Men became a festival darling of the 2024/2025 season, with notable stops at SXSW, Rotterdam, Telluride, Annecy, Guadalajara and the Palm Springs ShortFest. The film also received a nomination at the 2025 Oscars. Keppens is currently developing a new short film, Trompe l’oeil, as well as a feature film currently titled False Hero.