Davecat and his two synthetics engage in hierarchical polyamory, or at least, he thinks that is what it is called. Sidore Kuroneko and Davecat are married, while Elena Vostirkova, who is Russian, is there to keep Sidore company while he is away at work. At a certain point, Davecat decided to give both of them a presence on social media. This has led to some negative notoriety but has also allowed them to interact with fans the world over.
Ben is using an alias, and his face is blurred out for his segment. He is a married man, but as they are getting older, his wife’s sex drive is winding down. So, now the couple lives with a synthetic person. His wife is okay with it, but both are afraid of what would happen when, or if, the neighbors find out.
Silicone Soul also looks at platonic forms of love between a human and a doll. Reborn doll therapy, occasionally cited as cuddle doll therapy, has been proven to help patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s in several ways. Sarah Mellman helps craft the reborns and brings these realistic looking baby dolls to visit an assisted living home. The reaction of the residents is nothing short of delightfully sweet. They ask the doll, a little girl in this case, a variety of questions, such as if she’s had dinner or if she’s played enough today? The residents recall how they took care of their children and are happy to see such a well-behaved baby around.
Stacy Leigh is a photographer who uses real dolls in her work. She once recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper via female real dolls. She discusses her work, her influences, and how her current line of work is a natural development from her love of Barbie as a little girl. While art is subjective, the photos shown of her work are great stuff.
“…cries of deviancy even more dumbfounded and inappropriate…”
Under Melody Gilbert’s astute direction, Silicone Soul is an engrossing watch from the get-go. She nimbly jumps back and forth through each story, always returning to the anchor of the film- John and Jackie. Their relationship with his niece, who appears for an interview, will remind the audience that there is still good left in this world.
The editing by Miles Painter is excellent. The segments have natural conclusions, and then time is taken to establish the next moment, so no two stories are vying for attention at the exact same time. Of course, it helps that they found subjects so honest, eager, and willing to talk at length about their choice of partner, or artistic expression, and the like. They know most people will find this at best, somewhat odd, and at worst, absolutely disgusting. But, Gilbert never judges them in any way.
These are simply people who have found in a synthetic being something they lost, or never had, with an organic human. There is nothing wrong with someone wanting to be happy and accepted. It should be noted that none of the stories are about sex. Yes, sexual acts may be a part of it, but that is not one’s focus when they are with their doll(s). This realization makes cries of deviancy even more dumbfounded and inappropriate than they already were.
And that is what makes Silicone Soul such a beautiful, heartwarming experience. Gilbert does not view her interviewees as less than human, so the audience does not either. Instead, the opposite occurs, whereby the end of the movie, the viewer will be so invested in their stories that Jackie, being made of silicone, is hardly a thought anymore. The same can be said for absolutely everyone, organic or not, who appears onscreen.
"…lets the participants speak for themselves..."
