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Gym Boys — why young men pump iron

September 4, 2024

"Pretty people have it easier in life," says 15-year-old Moritz. When he posts a video of his body on social media for the first time at the age of 13, it takes a toll: Moritz is bullied at school and starts thinking he's far too chubby.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kG1s

These days, does the path to masculinity lead straight through the gym? Are boys no longer allowed to be slim or chubby? For almost a year, the filmmakers follow five young men as they make their way from their childhood bedrooms onto social media and into the gym, documenting their journeys around body image and male identity.

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About the show

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DocFilm

Exciting stories, a wide variety of topics, fascinating pictures: every day, half or three-quarters of an hour of carefully researched background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.