A forbidden connection, a family secret, and a summer that changes everything. The award-winning German gay drama FREE AT HEART has arrived on Dekkoo.
Some films aren’t afraid to challenge audiences. FREE AT HEART, the provocative 2025 German drama from writer-director Max Hegewald, is one of them.
Now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo, this emotionally charged coming-of-age story explores first love, sexual identity, family secrets, and a relationship that crosses one of society’s deepest taboos.
A Summer That Changes Everything
Sixteen-year-old Sebastian (Linus Moog) lives a relatively ordinary life in a quiet German town. His days revolve around school, friends, his girlfriend, and the familiar routines of adolescence.
That changes when Kolja (Aurel Klug), a mysterious fifteen-year-old boy, arrives to live with Sebastian’s family.
At first, the two are strangers. But as they spend more time together, an unexpected connection develops. Their growing closeness brings confusing emotions, long-buried family secrets, and the discovery that they are biological brothers.
What follows is a complicated story of forbidden attraction, identity, and the consequences of a relationship that threatens to upend everything around them.
FREE AT HEART doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it invites audiences into an intimate and sometimes uncomfortable exploration of desire, belonging, and the boundaries imposed by family and society.
A New Voice in Queer Cinema
FREE AT HEART marks the feature-film directorial debut of German filmmaker Max Hegewald, who also wrote the screenplay.
Rather than presenting a conventional coming-out story, Hegewald takes a more challenging approach to queer storytelling. The film examines how a young person’s emerging sexuality can collide with family expectations, social conventions, and deeply held moral boundaries.
Linus Moog and Aurel Klug lead the cast, bringing vulnerability and emotional intensity to two characters struggling to understand their connection and its consequences.
Set against the seemingly peaceful backdrop of a small German town, the film contrasts the freedom of adolescence with the pressures of a community where secrets can quickly become public.
For viewers who appreciate international gay movies that explore complicated relationships and unconventional subjects, FREE AT HEART offers a distinctive and thought-provoking experience.
An Award-Winning LGBTQ+ Festival Favorite
Before arriving on Dekkoo, FREE AT HEART attracted attention on the international LGBTQ+ film festival circuit.
The film received the Audience Award at Norway’s Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival and earned multiple honors at Festival MIX México, including Best Film, Best Director, and an Audience Award.
It also screened at LGBTQ+ festivals in the United States, including OUTshine and FilmOut San Diego.
These festival appearances helped introduce Hegewald’s challenging debut to international queer cinema audiences.
Discover More International Gay Cinema on Dekkoo
FREE AT HEART joins Dekkoo’s growing collection of international LGBTQ+ films that explore love, identity, and the complexities of human relationships.
If you enjoy discovering contemporary gay cinema from around the world, don’t miss The Astronaut Lovers, the acclaimed Argentine romantic drama from director Marco Berger.
You can also explore Dekkoo’s broader collection of gay movies and LGBTQ+ films, featuring everything from intimate coming-of-age dramas to provocative romances, independent discoveries, and festival favorites.
Watch FREE AT HEART Exclusively on Dekkoo
Discover the provocative new German coming-of-age drama that’s making waves in queer cinema. FREE AT HEART is now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo, alongside hundreds of gay movies, acclaimed international films, and original series.
