The Perfect Boy Myth is an award-winning art video written and directed by Liberté Grace and shot by Australian Cinematographer, Joel Peterson, with performance-maker Kate Sherman in the lead role. It showcases the work of a creative team of over 100 people from four countries.

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THE PERFECT BOY MYTH

Single-channel Video

With historical references to Nazi Germany, a chilling story from the Vietnam war, and inspired by the Cronulla Race Riots of 2005 in Sydney, Australia; The Perfect Boy Myth is a fairytale, which plays upon familiar fairy-tale archetypes. It integrates historical references to real-life events, through a look at the darker side of the idealism at the basis of cultural programming within traditional archetypal storytelling.

The Perfect Boy Myth  was selected to showcase at the Cannes Film Festival and in Art Basel, Hong Kong and Time Square, New York

To view this full work, request access by emailing

studio@libertegrace.com

Access is only granted to programmers, commissions, and art collectors.

Character trailers are viewable below the stills gallery:

Skip to Videos
  • The Mother Trailer  | They Perfect Boy Myth

    The Mother Trailer | They Perfect Boy Myth

    14-sec trailer The Perfect Boy Myth | Played by Samantha Tolj

    The Mother symbolises the perfect maternal figure - a fairy godmother, stunningly beautiful and ethereal. The Orphans, suspended in their desire for her and with eyes glinting like wolves; wait on the edge of their seats for her promised arrival. But she only has eyes for one...

    The Perfect Boy Myth is an award-winning art video written and directed by Liberté Grace, shot by Australian cinematographer Joel Peterson, with performance-maker Kate Sherman in the lead role. The work brought together a creative team of more than 100 people from around the world to create a dark fairy tale about a small, racist society of orphaned children ruled by a charismatic boy who promises to “Protect them from evil” and “Bring the great mother back to life.”

    Drawing on historical references to Nazi Germany, a chilling story from the Vietnam War, and the 2005 Cronulla Race Riots in Sydney, Australia, The Perfect Boy Myth plays with familiar fairy-tale archetypes while turning their idealism inside out. The work examines how cultural programming can embed ideas of purity, belonging, authority and protection within stories that appear innocent on the surface.

    The Perfect Boy Myth was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and the Art Basel Film Program in Hong Kong, and was presented in Times Square, New York.

  • Wolf Boy Trailer  | They Perfect Boy Myth

    Wolf Boy Trailer | They Perfect Boy Myth

    10-sec trailer The Perfect Boy Myth | Played by Isaac Harrison

    The Wolf Boy hides amongst the crowd of masked orphans watching the Little Mouse being tossed left to right by a black-masked boy and white-masked boy on the stage.  As the crowd of orphans begin to chant "Keep! Kill! Keep! Kill!" the Wolf Boy gives the final command: "Kill the wicked vermin!"

    The Perfect Boy Myth is an award-winning art video written and directed by Liberté Grace, shot by Australian cinematographer Joel Peterson, with performance-maker Kate Sherman in the lead role. The work brought together a creative team of more than 100 people from around the world to create a dark fairy tale about a small, racist society of orphaned children ruled by a charismatic boy who promises to “Protect them from evil” and “Bring the great mother back to life.”

    Drawing on historical references to Nazi Germany, a chilling story from the Vietnam War, and the 2005 Cronulla Race Riots in Sydney, Australia, The Perfect Boy Myth plays with familiar fairy-tale archetypes while turning their idealism inside out. The work examines how cultural programming can embed ideas of purity, belonging, authority and protection within stories that appear innocent on the surface.

    The Perfect Boy Myth was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and the Art Basel Film Program in Hong Kong, and was presented in Times Square, New York.

  • The Black Skinned Singer Trailer  | The Perfect Boy Myth

    The Black Skinned Singer Trailer | The Perfect Boy Myth

    18-sec trailer The Perfect Boy Myth | Played by Calvin Welch  

    The Black-skinned Singer is the iconic singer that never was, subjugated at the will of a world he has no power in. Unbeknownst to him, he stands asleep before an audience of masked orphans. The Orator instructs him to sing in his unconscious, hypnotised state, in the voice of a white woman. 

    He is used as a toy in a childish game of power...but looks can be deceiving. 

    The Perfect Boy Myth is an award-winning art video written and directed by Liberté Grace, shot by Australian cinematographer Joel Peterson, with performance-maker Kate Sherman in the lead role. The work brought together a creative team of more than 100 people from around the world to create a dark fairy tale about a small, racist society of orphaned children ruled by a charismatic boy who promises to “Protect them from evil” and “Bring the great mother back to life.”

    Drawing on historical references to Nazi Germany, a chilling story from the Vietnam War, and the 2005 Cronulla Race Riots in Sydney, Australia, The Perfect Boy Myth plays with familiar fairy-tale archetypes while turning their idealism inside out. The work examines how cultural programming can embed ideas of purity, belonging, authority and protection within stories that appear innocent on the surface.

    The Perfect Boy Myth was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and the Art Basel Film Program in Hong Kong, and was presented in Times Square, New York.

  • The Orator Trailer | The Perfect Boy Myth

    The Orator Trailer | The Perfect Boy Myth

    13-second trailer The Perfect Boy Myth | Played by Kate Sherman

    The Orator is a machiavellian child dictator who convinces an audience of masked orphans that he is the "only son" destined to bring them the mother they always wanted. This enchanting and charismatic magician seduces his audience with a myth that plays on their simple childish fears.

    The Perfect Boy Myth is an award-winning art video written and directed by Liberté Grace, shot by Australian cinematographer Joel Peterson, with performance-maker Kate Sherman in the lead role. The work brought together a creative team of more than 100 people from around the world to create a dark fairy tale about a small, racist society of orphaned children ruled by a charismatic boy who promises to “Protect them from evil” and “Bring the great mother back to life.”

    Drawing on historical references to Nazi Germany, a chilling story from the Vietnam War, and the 2005 Cronulla Race Riots in Sydney, Australia, The Perfect Boy Myth plays with familiar fairy-tale archetypes while turning their idealism inside out. The work examines how cultural programming can embed ideas of purity, belonging, authority and protection within stories that appear innocent on the surface.

    The Perfect Boy Myth was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and the Art Basel Film Program in Hong Kong, and was presented in Times Square, New York.