Rob Munday

While there are many myths surrounding the male vasectomy procedure, perhaps the most enduring is the idea that undergoing the operation somehow diminishes a man’s virility – and, by extension, his masculinity. It is precisely this notion that writer/director Ben S. Hyland (Quiet Carriage) pushes to absurd extremes in his hilarious short film, The Snip.

“The concept of masculinity was very much tied to the act of procreation”

Hyland establishes the film’s tone immediately, introducing its protagonist, Tony, sitting in a pub utterly transfixed by the testicles of a dog brought in by its owner. It is an unusual opening, but one that quickly reveals itself to be entirely fitting as the narrative unfolds and we come to understand the anxieties and decisions that have brought Tony and his partner to this stage in their lives.

“As a man with children who no longer wanted further offspring, the decision to get a vasectomy had become part of the conversation in my marriage,” Hyland candidly explains when discussing the origins of the film. Through conversations with friends in similar situations, he discovered many shared the same vague yet persistent anxieties surrounding sex and the procedure itself. As he puts it: “The concept of masculinity was very much tied to the act of procreation. So I wanted to explore that both within myself and within the film.”

An animated character called ‘Snippy Steve’ was one of Hyland’s favourite parts of the production.

While The Snip will feel particularly relatable to men of a certain age – myself included – it remains an accessible comedy with broader appeal through its exploration of relationships, family, and masculinity. For Hyland, however, the project also served another purpose: an opportunity to further his career through the festival circuit, where the film picked up multiple awards, while also functioning as a calling card for a potential transition into feature filmmaking.

That said, Hyland did not immediately move into features after completing The Snip. Instead, his next directorial effort was another short, The Man That I Wave At, a darker but similarly relatable comedy that has already enjoyed success on the festival circuit. Nevertheless, a move into feature filmmaking now appears increasingly likely, with a feature adaptation of that short – as well as another project, Clickbait – currently in development.