Issue 30: "Healing is not a linear journey. Life has peaks and valleys." – Chrisann Hessing  March 12th 2025

Source: Hot Docs Toronto Screening

Written and directed by Toronto filmmaker Chrisann Hessing, the film premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Feature Film at the 2023 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. It was nominated for a Heritage Toronto Public History Award in 2024. Hessing followed the 'Good Guise' collective for four years, inspired by participant Julian Diego's performance at a Toronto event in 2019. She recalled:

"I was at a community event downtown... and that was the first time I had ever seen a Black man on stage talking about his vulnerability. And I had this moment where I was like, why have I never seen this before?"

After Diego invited her to a Good Guise event, which aims to promote healthy masculinity through art, Hessing vowed to share their story: "I'm going to make a film about these guys. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I have to do it."

The Rise of Toxic Masculinity: Interest in "toxic masculinity" surged in 2016 with Donald Trump's Republican nomination and peaked after his 2024 election win, while "healthy masculinity" has remained largely overlooked.

Michael Flood, a sociology professor at Queensland University of Technology, writes in The Conversation that toxic masculinity has become popular since 2015. He defines it as “a version of masculinity that is unhealthy for the men and boys who conform to it, and harmful for those around them. It includes qualities like violence, dominance, emotional illiteracy, sexual entitlement, and hostility to femininity."

Toxic masculinity fosters abuse and violence against women, creates gender inequality, and pressures men and boys to conform to stereotypes of toughness and emotional distance, harming their well-being and relationships.

Toxic Masculinity for Racialized Men: For racialized men, especially Black men, toxic masculinity reinforces damaging stereotypes of aggression, leading to over-policing and discouraging emotional openness, making it harder to seek help. Combined with racism, it deepens inequality and emotional struggles for men of color.

Human-Centered, Non-Linear, and Community-Driven: The Success of We Will Be Brave

The film We Will Be Brave succeeds by helping participants confront their entire selves—embracing both strengths and flaws, which in turn fosters healing and growth. The film’s impact can be attributed to three key elements: a human-centred approach, non-linear storytelling, and community-focused conversations.

Human-First Filmmaking: Racialized and marginalized communities seek authentic storytelling by filmmakers who reflect their identities. Director Chrisann Hessing emphasized collaboration, consent, and the well-being of the participants. She states, "The filmmaking process was led with care and collaboration rather than, this is what I need and this is how you fit into my vision." Participant Julian Diego talked about the crew’s diversity, saying, "They were all of color. The aspect of how race is held accountable in this colonial context is important. This movie would not have happened without that additional level of care."

Non-Linear Storytelling: Hessing chose non-linear storytelling to reflect the choppiness in explaining themes of masculinity and healing in chronological order. Instead of a traditional narrative, she focused on the central themes while depicting participants’ struggles and lived experiences. She explains, "Healing is not a linear journey. Life has peaks and valleys". In the film, Diego highlights the ongoing journey:

"There's lots of moments in my life that I don't think match where I want to get to. And I think other members of the Good Guise were grappling with that same issue. We've made progress individually and as a group, and we're still right in the thick of things."

Source: We Will Be Brave

Intentional Community Conversations: Diego emphasizes the role of "pods" in building trust and promoting healing. He says,

“A pod is a chosen community where members feel safe, supported, and empowered to be vulnerable. It is an intimate space where individuals can remove their 'masks' and experience true openness and connection."

He believes healthy masculinity thrives in collaboration and community rather than isolation, saying that "none of us can do this work by ourselves. The more we try, the more we reinforce these really harmful power dynamics."

Source: We Will Be Brave

Finding meaning in struggle: The film begins with a quote from bell hooks about finding meaning in struggle and concludes with the group discussing the importance of doing this work together.

"Alchemically transforming lead into true gold,

men are given the opportunity to burn, to be touched by an inner fire,

to live a life of substance, to be changed utterly."

-bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions

Near the end of the film, Jah Grey, a Black trans man and participant, reflects on his journey with the group. He shares,

“At the time of falling, what I’ve come to realize is that I landed very softly because I landed in the 'Good Guise.'"