Category: Adolescence

New This Week – 12/16/21

One of the most important and celebrated works of the early ‘90s New Queer Cinema movement, this landmark queer classic from award-winning director Todd Haynes tells three interwoven short stories, examining the AIDS crisis, the work of Jean Genet and more through allegory and a variety of genres. ‘Poison’ is available to experience now on Dekkoo!

Pawel is positive that their recent separation has completely dampened his feelings for the young man with whom he was in love. But when he finds an unexpected visitor at his home one rainy afternoon, it brings up a whole lot of feelings he thought were behind him. Watch ‘After Dawn’ now on Dekkoo!

Sean Paul Lockhart and writer-director Rob Moretti star in this tense psychological thriller about a young man who becomes dangerously obsessed with his slightly older male lover. As their relationship deepens, dependency takes over and dark secrets are revealed – leading to a violent confrontation. ‘Truth’ is available now to stream on Dekkoo.

Teens Isaac and Adam meet in secret one day after class. At the playground, Adam offers Isaac a joint. As the afternoon stretches into the evening, he also offers him a dance and many meaningful looks. Do these two buddies share a secret attraction…or are they just really high? The short film ‘Just Boys’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Here come the bears!

Short Film Spotlight: Nuclear Family

18-year-old Jules (Louka Minnella) has reluctantly returned to the beach-side nudist camp where he spent summers are a child. He’s been dragged there by his mother (Catherine Grosjean), who is constantly testing his boundaries, along with his little brother (Lohen Van Houtte).

While taking a moment to contribute to a boardwalk blood drive, he meets Karim and attractive, flirty young volunteer. Their interaction is brief, but he can feel that there is a spark between them. When he comes back later, the two make plans to spend the evening – Karim’s last in town – together.

Unfortunately, when Jules’ mother makes a spectacle of herself, wandering naked beyond the camp’s perimeter, it throws his romantic plans into jeopardy and forces him to start reckoning with their problematic mother-son dynamic.

A thoughtful, beautifully-shot 19-minute short from Belgian director Faustine Crespy, Nuclear Family upends the typical gay coming-of-age story in interesting ways. It also features a game cast who are not afraid to strip down to sell the drama and pathos.

Nuclear Family is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: A Wake

A Wake is an affecting new drama about a family coping with the death of a teenage boy named Mitchel. Questions linger about the nature of Mitchel’s death, but no one seems to want to talk about it.

Mason (Noah Urrea), Mitchel’s identical twin, is desperate to reach his brother by any spiritual means in an effort to assuage his relentless guilt. Precocious preteen Molly (Sofia Rosinsky) presides over the ceremony, determined for it to go smoothly, but finds herself in over-her-head. And older sister Megan (Megan Trout), fueled by anger and alcohol, insists on asking the questions everyone’s been ignoring.

When Mitchel’s secret ex-boyfriend, Jameson (Kolton Stewart), shows up to the wake unexpectedly, the family is forced to confront realities about Mitchel’s life.  When the children clash with their elders over how to handle the situation, family members left torn apart look for solace in places they least expected it.

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

New This Week – 12/10/21

When a school bully starts spreading rumors about his sexuality, Umut stands his ground, refusing to deny the allegation, apologize or explain himself. His time at school, however, becomes more fraught with tension. Set in the high testosterone world of teen sports, this powerful drama from Turkey holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay in so much of the world today. ‘Not Knowing’ is available to stream now, exclusively on Dekkoo!

When a young gay man goes to visit his uncle in the hospital, he becomes witness to an awkward, barely-conscious ramble about sexual fantasies, which morph into a vulnerable confession about love and forgiveness. A unique short film from writer-director-star James Patrick Nelson. Watch ‘Waking Up’ now on Dekkoo!

A married poet finds himself becoming increasingly infatuated with – and creatively inspired by – a handsome young donut shop employee. This comedy-drama from South Korean director Kim Yang-hee explores family structures and repressed queer desire. ‘The Poet and the Boy’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A short drama about sexual exploration, Naufrago follows Juan, a 17-year-old who longs to have sex with his girlfriend Samantha. When he starts dressing up in Samantha’s clothes, he begins to discover new ways of feeling pleasure. Stream ‘Naufrago’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week:  A groundbreaking American indie that was the most fervently debated film of the early 1990s and a trailblazing landmark of queer cinema. 

Don’t miss the award-winning, critically-acclaimed Kanarie

Johan Niemand (Schalk Bezuidenhout) is a fashion-loving gay teen in small-town South Africa in 1985, a time of apartheid, religious conservatism and war – an era when not even his idol Boy George had dared to come out publicly as gay yet. 

When Johan is called up to serve his compulsory two-year military training, he escapes the border war by joining The South African Defence Force Church Choir and Concert Group, known as Die Kanaries (The Canaries), where he discovers his true self through hardship, camaraderie, first love and the liberating freedom of music.

A winner of over 15 different international awards, Kanarie earned rave reviews from critics. It currently has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Los Angeles Times called it “A rich, poignant and finely observed musical drama.” Michael McNeely in theBUZZ said “Every once in a while comes a film that is filled with so much joy, human connection, and emotional turmoil, you know that as long as it sticks the landing, it is a masterpiece.”

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

New This Week – 12/3/21

The children of a religious family begin clashing with their elders during the wake of their recently deceased brother. Teenage Mason is desperately trying to reach his lost identical twin brother through spiritual means. When a handsome stranger arrives, family secrets are brought out into the open. ‘A Wake’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

18-year-old Jules is reluctantly spending his holidays in the naturalist camp where he was raised. He soon finds himself torn between his attraction to Karim, an alluring seasonal worker on the textile beach, and Adele, his depressed mother who refuses to let him grow up and move on. Watch ‘Nuclear Family’ now on Dekkoo!

When twenty-something Maurice joins his family on a weekend getaway, he starts to notice how much of a gap has grown between the generations. Though he tries to keep up appearances, he grows more and more frustrated by his family’s myriad secrets – until he reaches a breaking point. The short film ‘Holiday’ is now playing on Dekkoo!

The life and important work of Hank Wilson, a longtime San Francisco LGBTQ rights activist and AIDS survivor, are chronicled in this deeply emotional feature-length documentary. ‘Thanks to Hank’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A film that holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay today in so much of the world.

The lost queer classic Wild Tigers I Have Known has been restored and remastered for its 15th Anniversary

A 13-year-old boy learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the coolest kid at school in this lyrical coming-of-age indie from visionary director Cam Archer.

After being work-shopped at the 2005 Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, Wild Tigers I Have Known had its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival where it earned stellar reviews from critics. The film went on to be screened at New Directors/New Films Festival, London International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival and AFI Film Festival.

Despite great word-of-mouth, the film was heavily re-edited before being released theatrically by IFC Films in 2007. This shorter edition changed the sound as well as the order of the scenes, making them chronological. The edited version also leads to a completely different interpretation of the film’s events and themes – one not in line with the director’s original intent. In Europe, where the film was released on DVD only, the film was trimmed down to an even shorter 1 hour and 13 minutes.

In honor of the film’s 15th Anniversary, the indie boutique distribution label Altered Innocence has restored and remastered the film, presenting the full uncut version as Cam Archer envisioned it.

Watch the new trailer for Wild Tigers I Have Known below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Two high school friends get closer than they ever expected in the coming-of-age drama Blurred Lines

Janik and Samuel (Emil von Schönfels and Mekyas Mulugeta) are extremely close best friends celebrating the end of their senior year of high school. Both come from completely different worlds. Janik’s parents are seemingly perfect, while Samuel comes from a broken home. Naturally, Samuel is looking for stability while Janik just wants to rebel.

Sex and sexuality are never far from the surface for both, which leads the pair to one impulsive moment that could threaten their friendship forever. In an attempt to rekindle their relationship, the boys set off on a trip to Istanbul, but the blurred line that has been crossed proves hard to re-establish.

Based on a young adult novel by German writer and filmmaker Finn-Ole Heinrich, Blurred Lines (also known as Stambul Garden) is a thoroughly modern take on the bonds that develop between young men.

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

New This Week – 11/19/21

A 13-year-old boy learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the coolest kid at school in this lyrical coming-of-age indie from director Cam Archer. Originally released in 2006, ‘Wild Tigers I Have Known’ has been lovingly remastered for its 15-year Anniversary by the cult film label Altered Innocence.

Phil is a postman who really wants to become a writer. When an old woman on his route dies under mysterious circumstances, he descends into an investigatory rabbit hole, hoping to land a juicy story. Along his journey, he uncovers some personal truths as well. ‘Mailmain’ is a black comedy, a musical and a modern coming out story.

17-year-old Nadav wants to serve in a combat unit, even though his mother does not approve. A surprising encounter with his coach changes his perspective. ‘Boys’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

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Coming next week: Examining the effects of nationalism on the soul, while also exploring the tender brotherhood among misfits, this musical comedy revels in the discovery of finding your voice and learning to fly.

12 LGBTQ shorts come together in the astounding animation collection Colour Me Queer

Since its origins, animation has thrived as one of cinema’s most beloved formats to tell stories – and this exciting new collection from MIYU distribution is no different.

Through the eyes of award-winning directors, Colour Me Queer explores issues of sexuality, love, and acceptance in a number of thrilling, imaginative styles.

Below we have a short synopsis for each of the 12 films featured in this astounding new collection. Colour Me Queer is available now on Dekkoo.

Tom has a Plant
Tom is living in a world where he doesn’t feel that he belongs, torn between staying or searching for a better place. On his last day, Tom decides to give all of his plants away to the ones he loves, without knowing that they already have a secret plan for him.

I Wait for the Night
A discussion between two boys on the shores of an abandoned lake will force one of them to face his inner demons.

Holy Nuns
Sucked into a whirlwind of improbable events, two eccentric nuns end up sliding down the slippery slope to sin.

Shudo
Two samurais face one another on a battlefield ravaged by war. Absorbed by their pride, they clash in a duel fuelled by deep emotions.

Modern Man
Frida is an old housewife. Her anger rises when she observes her spoiled and pampered husband being indoctrinated by a sexist rap clip.

Tentatrice
During the Roaring Twenties of Chicago, Myrtille is desperately attracted to the the Cabaret’s Singer. One night, the power of a peculiar perfume gives her a chance to step out of the shadows.

Bacchus
Alex, a young woman bored with modern life, is lured by Bacchus into a colorful and mysterious world to explore her deepest desires.

Chapped Lips
In a kitchen, a mother and a child struggle to establish dialogue.

She
In her room, a little girl is unhappy. Sitting on her bed on which is placed a doll, she looks at it with annoyance then catches and throws. This model little girl’s room is not in her image.

Animals
Find out what happens when people stuck on a train stop being anti-social and impolite and start getting real.

Ama
1950: On the coast of Japan, an American woman is visiting a village with her military husband and a group of friends. Breaking away from the group, she meets with Namiko, a young ama fisherwoman.

Make a Stand
Two young women are about to receive the greatest honour : be sacrified to their gods. But the sacrifice doesn’t go as expected.

Of Aska
Two women live happily together, one starts to transform, disturbing their usual dynamic. The one left unchanged has to decide how far their love goes.