The Side of There is a logbook of a man who ventures into unknown lands, where he encounters creatures just as strange. So much so that for him they are extremely repulsive.
During this adventure, the man meets a mysterious boy. He understands everything about such creatures. He handles them perfectly, takes care of them all with love and care. It shows man another way of seeing the world. He learns that many things he was previously taught no longer match the whole world he started to belong to.
“Over There” is not simply a fantasy story. It is, at its core, a debate about masculinity. This story was born from the combination of drawings of creatures I had in my personal notebook and studies on the topic of toxic masculinity.
In the tale, the man who writes the book is on a journey of transition from two different places, the side he comes from and the “side over”. Which one could say that one of the places represents where masculinity is toxic and where masculinity is healthy, respectively.
In the tale, the man who writes the book is on a journey of transition from two different places, the side he comes from and the “side over”. Which one could say that one of the places represents where masculinity is toxic and where masculinity is healthy, respectively.
The side he comes from repudiates the “Other Side” and the creatures that live on it. Those that represent an emotion or a feeling. The ape, for example, is neediness and sadness. The dragon ray is motherhood. There are also many lies about animals told there. That's why, despite having decided to break new ground, man still has several reservations and denials about creatures.
And in this moment of discovery of the character, he meets the “boy”, a boy who knows how to deal with creatures. With love. He shows the man that everything he knew were nothing but strings that kept him from being happy the way he wanted.
“Lado de Lá” is a very personal project. Both because it involves a story created by me and because of the activism that I am involved in the fight for a healthier masculinity. However, I understand it as a product beyond my ambition. So much so that I chose to never touch the words that involve activism. Accepting an interpretation from the reader and user. I use this nomenclature because the book is a facsimile object and has a different interaction than any other book.
Watching people get emotional with the man and the boy made me want to talk more and more, to tell more stories. And I want more people to know the boy, the man, the ape.
“When I realize, I don't cry anymore. When I realize it, I smile. With all your teeth. I'm happy. M happy. I am happiness.”