AWARD THIS! 2023 NOMINEE! Growing up as a kid, there were rumors that our town had a nude beach. My friends and I searched and searched to no avail in hopes of getting just a glimpse of naked sunbathers. The beach did exist, we were just horrible explorers and, quite frankly, ignorant of the communal spirit the nudist had created. This unique community is now exposed in writer-director Tim Chizmar’s comedy feature, The Nudels of Nudeland.
Chizmar plays a version of himself, and this fictionalized Tim and his girlfriend just broke up. Why? Because he’s always naked and arrested in the park for being so. Then there is Lucz (Juliana Acosta), who works fully-clothed at the fashion designer label company. When she is caught naked at work, she is also arrested. As punishment, Tim and Lucz are deported to the small country of Nudeland, where clothing is taboo unless you’re playing reverse strip poker. Here they find a place they finally belong and see that nudists come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Now that these two nudists have found a place to be themselves, can the two find love?
If you look at The Nudels of Nudeland as purely a comedy, you’re in for a rough one. It falls squarely on the cheeky side, with jokes sharply pointed at the clothes obsessed. Silliness aside, it’s the spirit of the cast and crew where the film shines. Going in, I knew nothing about nudist colonies, beaches, resorts, etc., except what you see in comedies. The film is primarily an argument for an unclothed lifestyle. The opening theme song states, “Animals don’t wear pants.”
“…Tim and Lucz are deported to the small country of Nudeland, where clothing is taboo…”
What Chizmar did was pull together enthusiastic and very naked community members to star in his film. This means that, and let’s be real, the performances leave much to be desired. Acting classes might have been a benefit. But, being real again, no mainstream actor will let it all hang out on an indie paycheck. But the cast is authentic… and naked. Everyone bought into the film’s purpose and showed their support for the nude lifestyle. Absolutely no one was self-conscious about being in their birthday suit in the slightest.
In the end, The Nudels of Nudeland accomplishes precisely what it set out to do — answer the question, “Why do we need clothes?” Social concerns and personal insecurities are addressed through various skits and learning moments. Myths are also dispelled with facts, like how violence and sexual assault are virtually non-existent in nudist communities.
The message of The Nudels of Nudeland is about freedom — not just freedom from clothes, but freedom from the shame and anxiety associated with being nude and finding a place where nudists belong. Find out what it truly means to be part of this body-positive community, recruiters are in the lobby.
To screen the film, visit The Nudels of Nudeland official website. The Nudels of Nudeland is a 2023 Award This! WTF Indie like “What the F**k is This Movie Even?”
