Category: Adolescence

New This Week – 12/31/21

A stunningly beautiful documentary, ‘Dream Boat’ takes you aboard a cruise ship filled with gorgeous gay men – from bow to stern, starboard to port! For many of them, this yearly trip has become a blissful escape from their day-to-day lives in the closet – the one place where they can truly be free. Watch ‘Dream Boat’ on Dekkoo!

17-year-old Nagisa is in his second year of high school. When he meets Shun, a boy his same age, over spring break, his love life begins to change in unexpected ways. This prequel to ‘His” (also available on Dekkoo) is a heartwarming romantic coming-of-age drama from Japan. ‘His: I Didn’t Think I Would Fall in Love’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

This poetic short romance from director Aretha Iskandar takes us inside the mind and heart of Fred, an introverted young man. When he meets Raphael, the boy of his dreams, his vision, energy and sensuality leave him breathless. Though they part ways, Fred is compelled to tell Raphael how he really feels. ‘Raphael’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

_______________________

Coming next week: A rich character study with a surprisingly erotic sting.

New This Week – 12/24/21

Rural Argentina is not a happy place for Marcos, a gay teen with a fondness for women’s clothing and a mother determined to “set him straight.” Based on shocking true events, Marilyn is a nuanced story of oppression, prejudice, homophobia and a young man who is pushed to his limit and confronted with the impossibility of being true to himself. ‘Marilyn’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

A wildly inventive short film romance, ‘Plantonic’ follows the unique relationship that grows (literally) between a young aspiring artist and the incredibly attractive half-man/half-plant that seems to be growing in his garden. Stream ‘Plantonic’ now on Dekkoo!

This wildly popular comedy-mystery web series follows the exploit of three gay bear roommates living together in Los Angeles – as they attempt to solve the murder of a party guest that turns up dead in their bathtub. ‘Where the Bears Are’ is now available on Dekkoo!

During the summer of 2018, a young man goes to visit the place that brought all of his childhood memories to live. Once there, he says goodbye to this place, the person he used to be…and his first lover. ‘X As In Love’ is available now on Dekkoo!

_______________________

Coming next week: A stunningly beautiful documentary that takes you aboard a cruise ship filled with gorgeous gay men.

Short Film Spotlight: Holiday

The new 20-minute short film Holiday follows twenty-something Maurice (Tijmen Govaerts) and his older brother Louis (Oscar Willems), who join the rest of their family for a weekend getaway filled with unexpected tension.

No longer a kid, but not quite an adult, Maurice is having trouble finding his place. He’s also starting to notice how much of a gap has grown between the generations.

Fueled by angst and growing more and more frustrated by his family’s myriad secrets, he starts adding a certain level of tension to each relationship, forcing a breaking point that his well-mannered relatives refuse to cross, no matter how awkward things get.

A sharp, well-observed comedy-drama from Belgian writer-director Michiel Dhont, Holiday teases at deep emotion hidden just under the surface. Watching the short film, it’s easy to imagine it expanded to feature length, delving further into each of the characters. Nonetheless, the game cast lend naturalistic performances that make the family feel authentic and relatable.

Watch a short trailer for Holiday below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Not Knowing

Umut (Emir Ozden) is a young water polo player – a gentle and quiet high school senior, just trying to live his life in a complicated world.

When a fellow player spreads a rumor that he is gay, Umut, displaying confidence and maturity beyond his years, refuses to deny the allegation, apologize or explain himself.

His parents, distracted by their own marital problems, prove powerless to stem any fallout as his time at high school becomes more and more fraught – until events reach a shocking head.

Set in the high testosterone world of teenage water polo, and a sometimes-suffocating Turkish society, Not Knowing holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay today in so much of the world today.

Watch the trailer for Not Knowing below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

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!

________________

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!

_________________

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!

__________________________

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.