Burlingame filmmaker’s documentary tackles tough topics, both in person and on screen

“The educational component came more from conversations and smaller, intimate screenings, so that became something that I wanted to emphasize,” Deb said. “Watching it in isolation does not have the same impact as watching it in community, especially with people that you know.”

Deb’s decision to create a film centered around sexual health was largely motivated by the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing individual states to start banning or more strictly regulating abortion. But instead of focusing exclusively on reproductive rights, she felt the most critical gap to fill was not related to legislative advocacy but rather honest, educational conversations around identity and sexuality, between peers and also between parents and their kids.

“I realized early on that there was a real lack of education around reproductive rights and sexuality,” Deb said. “Sexuality is such a big part of who we are, and yet it’s something we’re often taught not to talk about.”

One of the subjects featured in “My Body to Love” is Arjun Sheth, a Bay Area-based health educator.

“I saw the documentary as a way to expand sexual health education beyond just students,” he said. “It’s also for adults who might watch it and feel empowered to finally have conversations they’ve been avoiding.”

Growing up in suburban Ohio, Sheth said those conversations didn’t exist. His exposure to gender diversity and different sexual orientations largely came in the form of derogatory remarks from other classmates, and the term “consent” wasn’t even addressed until college. Menstruation and reproductive health were considered “girls’ issues.”

“That absence of information has real consequences,” Sheth said. “Sex education has the power to normalize things — gender diversity, consent, bodies — in a way that reduces shame and stigma.”

Even in predominantly liberal places like the Bay Area, Sheth said he sees how those gaps continue to surface, especially among boys.

“Boys are the disruptors,” he said. “They are most often the ones pushing back — against consent, against gender identity, against sexual orientation. That’s a consistent challenge we see in sex-ed classrooms.”

The apprehension is often rooted in discomfort or delayed emotional development. And despite increased acceptance of traditional gender roles over the years, boys still tend to experience intense policing of masculinity.

“They’re often taught — explicitly or implicitly — that vulnerability is not safe,” he said. “Anything that challenges rigid ideas of masculinity can feel like a threat.”

As the only man on his education team, Sheth said he notices greater participation from male students when a male educator is at the front of the room.

“It feels uncomfortable, honestly,” he said. “Because it’s often the boys we most need to reach with these messages. Their resistance is actually a signal that something deeper is going on.”

In one sense troubling, it also underscores the importance of having a diverse network of educators that mirror a wide range of students’ identities — including heterosexual men.

Deb said it’s those dynamics that are central to why “My Body to Love” matters. While the films feature a wide range of experiences, they are intentionally framed around universal values rather than political alliances, she said.

“I’m very careful not to isolate people,” she said. “At our events, I don’t talk about legislation.”

The films also explore parental fear, cultural conditioning and love, even if clumsy or misdirected at times.

“When you really break it down, most resistance comes from fear,” Deb said. “Fear that your child will be hurt, isolated or unsafe. When you start from that place, it becomes easier to have compassionate conversations.”

During screenings, audience members often share personal realizations — moments of regret, growth or recognition sparked by someone else’s story.

“The way to tackle shame is to bring it into the open,” Deb said. “The moment someone says, ‘That happened to me too,’ it loses its power.”

That collective processing can be especially consequential for boys and men, who are often socialized to avoid emotional exposure, Sheth added.

“If boys don’t have spaces to talk about these things safely, that discomfort turns into disruption,” he said. “Real education gives them language, empathy and options.”

Deb said “My Body to Love” is less about providing answers and more about modeling how important conversations can happen, which hopefully lead to more understanding and eventually deeper connections.

“The films are just the beginning,” she said. “The change happens when people talk to each other.”

You can watch the trailer for “My Body to Love” at https://zenoandamo.com/mybodytoloveproject/