Category: Adolescence

New This Week – 5/27/22

After his mother’s sudden death, Socrates, a fifteen-year-old living on the margins of São Paulo’s coast, must survive on his own while coming to terms with his grief. Directed by Alexandre Moratto using mostly non-professional actors – and support from UNICEF – Socrates has earned acclaim and awards at film festivals all over the world. ‘Socrates’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

One of the craziest and sexiest movies in recent memory, Diamantino is a colorful sci-fi comedy satire from directors Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt. The film follows a big-hearted but dimwitted Portuguese soccer hunk (played by hunky international award-winner Carloto Cotta) who gets caught up in a strange conspiracy involving genetic modification. Watch ‘Diamantino’ now on Dekkoo!

After a year apart, hopeless romantic Adam runs into his ex-boyfriend during a seaside vacation. Thoughtlessly entangling himself in a week-long romance, Adam must decide whether to rekindle their flame or break free from the tumultuous relationship once and for all. ‘Let’s Meet Again At The End Of The World’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

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Coming next week: Three gay Palestinian friends explore their national and sexual identity.

New This Week – 5/20/22

David is an attractive young bodybuilder who obsessively trains to become his artist mother’s muse. Ashe dedicates himself to further developing his impressive physique, he goes through an identity crisis that will mark his destiny. ‘The Perfect David’ is available to stream exclusively on Dekkoo!

Pim, an introverted kid, occupies his time drawing and fantasizing while keeping his emerging desires a secret. As a teen, he grows infatuated with Gino, the handsome boy next door. When a hunky local man starts dating his mother, Pim seizes the opportunity to leave home and move in with Gino’s family. His plan backfires as Gino departs, romancing and living with a girl from across the border. It seems like Pim’s dreams will never come true… until one rainy day when Gino returns home. Stream ‘North Sea Texas’ now on Dekkoo!

Written by and starring Charles Gould and directed by Matt Porter, Flex is a charming, sexy and funny new sixteen-minute short about broadening your horizons. When Charles’ girlfriend breaks up with him, she makes him promise that he’ll try new things once they part ways. This leads him to start exploring the grey areas of his sexuality and finally accepting his bi-curiousity. Watch ‘Flex’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A stunning and deeply emotional portrayal of a young man’s journey.

Now Available: In the Family

In the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines (Sebastian Banes), a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two dads, Cody (Trevor St. John) and Joey (writer-director Patrick Wang). And a good life it is.

When Cody dies suddenly in a car accident, Joey and Chip struggle to find their footing again. Just as they begin to, Cody’s will reveals that he named his sister as Chip’s guardian. The years of Joey’s acceptance into the family soon unravel as Chip is taken away from him.

In his now solitary home life, Joey searches for a solution. The law is not on his side, but friends are. Armed with their comfort and inspired by memories of Cody, Joey finds a path to peace with the family and closer to his son.

With an ambitious 169-minute running time, In the Family is an intimate drama with an epic scope. Wang, who has gone on to make films such as The Grief of Others and the two-part community theater celebration A Bread Factory, created In the Family independently and earned great acclaimed for his effort.

Roger Ebert, writing at the time of the film’s release in 2011, awarded the film four out of four stars and said “I was completely absorbed from beginning to end. What a courageous first feature this is, a film that sidesteps shopworn stereotypes and tells a quiet, firm, deeply humanist story about doing the right thing.”

Watch the trailer for In the Family below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Watch five award-winning coming-of-age short films in the new Through a Boy’s Eyes collection

When a boy becomes a young man, the way he sees the world can change – not just his perceptions of those around him, but how others see him as well. As burgeoning desires come to the surface, he has the choice of either embracing and acting upon them, or burying them.

In Through a Boy’s Eyes, a selection of award-winning short films, different directors examine the struggles and celebrations seen through the eyes of boys not only becoming men, but becoming attracted to them. This new collection includes…

On the Roof
It’s summer time and Adrián and his friends spend almost every afternoon climbing onto a rooftop to spy a girl who sunbathes naked. But this afternoon won’t be like the others. Today they’ll realize that one of them is more interested in the guy showering in a close-by building.

The Son
Pedro is a 17-year-old at the tail end of high school. The thing he loves most in the world are his mother’s baked beans. He hasn’t tried each one, but there is no need. Pedro knows what he likes. His father, however, doesn’t feel the same way.

Inside
Juan is a seductive and cold man who easily attracts women. But his mind is immersed in a spiral of emotions and experiences that will force him to discover who he truly is and find his real identity, suppressed by his father’s strong conservative education.

Tomboy
10-year-old Chloe plays soccer, spits, never cries and can’t stand other girls – the so-called “cry-babies.” One day, Marie, a pretty and perky blonde girl, takes part for the first time in the games Chloe plays with the boys. Her femininity unsettles Chloe’s self-confidence and the balance of their small group of children.

Paradigma
Innocence, sex and lust converge to tell the story of Guille, a teen who seeks himself through the eyes of others.

All five short films are available now on Dekkoo in the Through a Boy’s Eyes collection. Watch the official trailer below.

New This Week – 4/15/22

When a boy becomes a young man, there are a lot of sudden changes to deal with. As burgeoning desires come to the surface, he can act on them or bury them. In this selection of award-winning short films, we witness both struggles and celebrations – all through the eyes of boys not only becoming men, but becoming attracted to them. ‘Through a Boy’s Eyes’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

A twenty-minute short film from Norwegian director Magnus Mork, ‘Skogen’ features a middle-aged couple who are camping together in the forest. Bjorn seems more accustomed to these settings than his partner Lars, but they are both influenced by the natural setting. Surrounded by trees, they discuss life’s questions, both big and small. Watch ‘Skogen’ now on Dekkoo!

Matthew Montgomery and Windham Beacham star in this charming indie rom-com from director Rob Williams. When Glenn and Adam meet as a result of a personal ad, the pair must overcome sexual and political issues – as well as pressure from their single and married friends – in order to build and maintain a loving long-term relationship. ‘Long-Term Relationship’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: In 1950’s Hollywood, a movie star must marry a studio secretary in order to conceal his homosexuality.

Now Available: Monster Pies

Does anyone ever forget the time they felt the incredible force of first love?

When Mike (Tristan Barr) learns that his English teacher is pairing him up for a class assignment on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ William (Lucas Linehan), the super-cute new kids on school, Mike can’t believe his luck!

As the two young men spend more and more time working together on a monster movie version of the Bard’s classic tale, they soon realize that their feelings for one another may be more powerful than either of them is truly ready for.

From Australian writer-director Lee Galea, who based his screenplay on a short story he has written when he was 15 years old and deep into the themes of the movie on a personal level, Monster Pies is a touching and original take on the all encompassing power of teen love – one that is sure to move even the hardest of hearts.

The film was originally released back in 2013 (almost ten years ago!) when it earned awards – and a whole lot of tears – at film festivals all around the globe.

Watch the trailer for Monster Pies below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Don’t miss the gripping, layered and beautifully honest award-winning drama José

Winner of multiple awards, including the Queer Lion from the 75th Annual Venice Film Festival, José is a gripping, layered and beautifully honest story about one working class young man’s struggle to find himself. Made in the neorealist filmmaking tradition, the film delivers a nuanced and vivid look at being gay in Central America.

José (played by magnetic newcomer Enrique Salanic) lives with his mother (Ana Cecilia Mota) in Guatemala City, where they survive on her selling sandwiches at bus stops and with him working at a local restaurant. It is a poor and sometimes dangerous country where, dominated by conservative Catholic and Evangelical Christian religion, living one’s life as an openly gay man is hard for José to imagine.

His mother has never had a husband. And though José is at the edge of manhood at 19-years old, he is her youngest and favorite child and she is determined to hold on to him.

Reserved and private, José fills his free moments playing with his phone and random sex with other men arranged on street corners and dating apps. When he meets attractive and gentle Luis (Manolo Herrera), a migrant from the rural Caribbean coast, they pursue an unexpected relationship with more emotion than José has ever felt. He is quickly thrust into new passion, pain and self-reflection that push him to rethink his life even as he is reluctant to take a leap of faith.

Watch the trailer for José below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Xavier Dolan’s sensational feature debut I Killed My Mother hits Dekkoo

Released in 2009, I Killed My Mother was the semi-autobiographical debut feature film by then 20-year-old Xavier Dolan – who quickly became a breakthrough star director on the international film scene.

Focusing on the relationship between Hubert Minel (Dolan), a 16-year-old Quebecois living in suburban Montreal, and his single mother Chantale (Anne Dorval), I Killed My Mother beautifully captures the anxieties of a mother-son relationship.

While he gauges her with contempt, only seeing her out-of-date sweater and kitschy decor, the ingrained mechanisms (i.e. manipulation and guilt) of their relationship beautifully (and tragically) unravel on the big screen.

After the film’s debut, I Killed My Mother was nominated for dozens of film festival awards all over the globe and quickly became a sensation. Dolan has gone on to make many more features, often with major Hollywood stars. He has also had some other big acting opportunities in films like Bad Times at the El Royale and It: Chapter Two.

Watch the trailer for I Killed My Mother below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

NEW THIS WEEK – 4/1/22

Winner of multiple awards, including the Queer Lion from the 75th Annual Venice Film Festival, ‘José’ is a gripping, layered and beautifully honest story about one working-class young man’s struggle to find himself. Made in the neorealist filmmaking tradition, the film is a nuanced and vivid look at being gay and falling in love in Central America. ‘Jose’ is available now on Dekkoo!

When social outcast Mike is paired up with dreamy new kid William for a class assignment on “Romeo & Juliet,” he can’t believe his luck. As the two teens spend time together crafting a monster movie version of the Bard’s classic, they realize that their feelings for one another may be more powerful than either of them are ready to admit. Watch ‘Monster Pies’ now on Dekkoo!

After a gender affirmation surgery, Joëlle finds difficulty maintaining normal parenting standards with her son. When he leaves the family home and follows her to New York, it starts to make things even more difficult – interfering with the new life she is looking to build. ‘In The Mirror’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A deeply erotic new romance about a tender secret affair.

Now Available: Parallel Sons

A gay indie classic and film festival favorite from 1995, Parallel Sons follows the relationship that develops between a white teen who identifies as black and a young black man who has been wounded while escaping prison.

Seth (Gabriel Mann) is a youth with artistic leanings, a fascination with Black pop culture and a dead-end life in an Adirondack village. He’s alternatively sensitive and brutal with Kristen (Heather Gottlieb), who wants a sexual relationship that he explosively rejects.

Late one night, as he’s closing the cafe where he works, a young Black man attempts to rob him at gun point but faints from illness. Seth takes the man, Knowledge (Laurence Mason), an escapee from a nearby prison, to a family cabin where he nurses him and they begin a tentative friendship. When the sheriff learns of Seth’s harboring a fugitive, a major confrontation looms.

Watch the original trailer for Parallel Sons below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.