Comedian Juan Dávila stars in "El último mono," a new satirical film from Spanish director Joaquín Mazón that takes aim at the incel community and the online "manosphere" as they come into contact, romantically, with feminism.
The film follows a self-proclaimed guru of masculinity who sets out to seduce, within three days, a comedian devoted to the fight for gender equality. The screenplay was written by Joaquín Oristrell and Yolanda García Serrano, who won Spain's Goya Award in the most recent edition for their adaptation of the film "La cena."
"Incel," short for "involuntarily celibate," describes an online subculture of men who blame feminism and gender laws for their lack of romantic success. It forms part of a wider network of online communities often referred to as the "manosphere," the target of Mazón's satire.
A director with a lighter track record
Mazón is best known for family comedies, including both instalments of "La familia Benetón" and "El casoplón," a filmography that might suggest lighter fare. He said he nonetheless feels a social responsibility as a director.
Every film should represent what is happening on the street, he said, but he prefers to take reality apart in a fun way.
He said members of the incel community, who broadly blame gender laws and feminist movements for their own celibacy, provoke tenderness in him, though not the pleasant kind. He described it as a tenderness rooted in sadness, since he sees them as clearly frustrated and deceived.
Conchi Espejo, part of the film's cast, said the internet holds a wide range of incel profiles. She said that while it can seem as though all incels fit the same mould, closer research reveals considerable variety among them.
Juan Dávila plays the masculinity messiah
Dávila, whose biting comic style has filled theatres across Spain, plays the self-styled messiah of masculinity at the centre of the story. It is not his first time on a film set: this year he also released "Castigo divino," and he studies at the Corazza school of dramatic art.
Even so, he said improvising in front of a camera does not come naturally to him. On stage, he explained, a performer serves the audience, but on a film set an actor serves the character instead, which he said demanded more concentration from him.
Susana Abaitua plays his romantic target
Susana Abaitua plays Dávila's co-star and the object of his character's pursuit in the film. She described the project as a way of taking a position on the issue without indoctrinating audiences, something she considers necessary given the polarisation both actors say they perceive today.
Dávila said the differences of opinion he encounters at his own comedy shows no longer stem from debate but from aggressiveness.
