Category: Drama

The director of Run Lola Run explores throuplehood in the German drama 3

From Tom Tykwer, the director behind Babylon Berlin, Cloud Atlas and Run Lola Run, 3 follows Hanna and Simon (Sophie Rois and Sebastian Schippe), a couple in their early forties who live together in Berlin.

With their twentieth anniversary looming, they both become restless despite being truly and deeply in love. Unbeknownst to one another, they separately become acquainted with Adam (Devid Striesow), an attractive younger man, and fall in love with him.

Inspired by, yet clearly not, the typical 1930’s rom-com romp, this reinvention of those classic films, combined with with Tykwer’s sleek direction, offers up a playful reinterpretation: an intellectual study of a modern couple looking for redefinition in a world of absolutes.

Watch the trailer for 3 below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Coming Soon To Dekkoo: Khata

A harrowing story of budding love through the dangers of male prostitution.

Young Kamal is trapped in a seemingly endless circle of male prostitution fueled by his brother Hatim and pimp Danny. After weeks of few jobs and low revenue, Kamal accepts a call from Jacob. Hatim soon begins to feel an attraction towards Jacob, and what once was simply business now has become so much more. Hatim must now try to escape his world of blackmail and danger while trying to pursue a budding relationship with Jacob.

Khata never shies away from showing the gritty details of male prostitution. The audience is forced to bear witness to violence, drug use, and a particularly violent depiction of sexual assault. The film lays everything bare and forces it’s audience to confront the sometimes violent word of sex work head on.

The film is elevated by a stellar lead performance by Akram Tanna. Tanna is able to convey feelings of conflict and confusion when the line between business and pleasure begins to blur, and delivers bursts of rage during the film’s emotional climax.

Khata arrives on Dekkoo August 26!

Coming Soon To Dekkoo: Self Reflection in the Passenger’s Seat; “As I Sat in His Car”

Growing up queer in suburbia is the focus of the brutally honest short film “As I Sat in His Car”. Director Kalil Hadad reflects upon his own life and experiences to craft an intimate autobiographical piece of art.

As the protagonist of the film sits in another man’s car in the midst of a late night hook up, he begins to reflect upon his life and the significant moments that led him here.

He thinks back on his relationships with his parents, noticing other men for the first time, and the prejudices that have forever been a part of his life.

Hadad pulls from several different mediums to fully articulate his story including video, still photo collage, and even utilizing some “making of” footage. Hadad effortlessly illustrates the isolation and unknowing of coming to terms with your sexualtiy in a small town. The film shows how the lines between love and lust can blur especially amongst queer people and what such desires can do to relationships.

You can find “As I Sat in His Car”, (streaming August 25), along with another of Kalil Hadad’s short films “Farm Boy”, streaming on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Clément, Alex et tous les autres

Clement (Yannis Bougeard) is gay. His roommate Alex (Carolina Jurczak) is also gay. They are looking for a new roommate for their big apartment in Paris with only one request… they must also be gay!

The pair seems to find luck when they meet Leo (Bellamine Abdelmalek), a charming young student who is in deep trouble – desperate to find a place to sleep. And Leo will do just about anything to get that room, whatever it takes.

Based on a theatrical play originally staged in Paris in 2006, Clément, Alex et tous les autres is a sentimental French comedy that isn’t afraid to cross boundaries.

Watch the trailer for Clément, Alex et tous les autres below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Former school friends reignite their attraction in the Hong Kong drama I Miss You When I See You

Jamie (Bryant Ji-Lok Mak) is on his way to visit his uncle in Melbourne. First, he stops by Sydney to see an old school friend.

Kevin (Jun Li) lives in a group home due to crippling depression. It’s been over a decade since they last saw each other back in Hong Kong, but the two reconnect as if no time has passed. Though they part quickly, Jamie gives Kevin an invitation to visit him in Hong Kong.

Soon back in his homeland, Kevin’s presence causes a rift between Jamie and his suspicious girlfriend Elaine (Candy Cheung). Through it all, the true reason for Jamie and Kevin’s estrangement hangs over them, a reason further elucidated in a series of flashbacks to their confusing, treacherous school years.

As the two troubled friends circle each other, and Kevin catches the eye of one of the teen male students at his tutoring job, they must make a choice between following their heart or conforming to the norms of heterosexual society.

Using a stark digital cinematographic style, writer-director Simon Chung’s I Miss You When I See You navigates a tense landscape of modern masculinity.

Watch the trailer for I Miss You When I See You below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 8/6/21

After his ex-wife suddenly disappears, Cicci and his partner Nikolas are given custody of their twin 17-year-old sons. When Cicci’s interfering aunts attempt to move in as well, it throws off the delicate and loving balance this new makeshift family is attempting to build. Cooler heads try to prevail in this madcap Italian comedy. ‘Tell Me Softly’ is available now on Dekkoo!

Up-and-coming queer director Miguel Lafuente was born in Madrid. After studying film in the United States, Lafuente returned to Spain to start his own production company to produce queer cinema and music videos. These three short films explore dating, romance, and family dynamics. Watch ‘The Short Films of Miguel Lafuente’ only on Dekkoo!

In a world where all that matters is basketball, Pete can’t play basketball. Stream ‘Pete Can’t Play Basketball’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Two vaguely unhappy spouses begin torrid affairs with the same man.

A baker seeks out the wife and son of his dead lover in this must-see drama The Cakemaker

Thomas (Tim Kalkhof) is a young German baker who is having a secret affair with Oren (Roy Miller), an married Israeli man who takes frequent business trips in Berlin.

When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers regarding the untimely death of his lover. Under a fabricated identity, he infiltrates the life of Anat (Sarah Adler), Oren’s newly widowed wife, who owns a small cafe in downtown Jerusalem.

Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that bring life into her store. Thomas soon finds himself involved in Anat’s life in a way far beyond his anticipation – and to protect the truth he will stretch his lie to a point of no return.

An international hit when it was released in 2017, The Cakemaker earned glowing reviews from critics. The New York Times said “The Cakemaker believes in a love that neither nationality, sexual orientation nor religious belief can deter.”

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

New This Week – 7/30/21

Jamie re-encounters his old school friend, Kevin, who has been suffering from depression and must make a choice between following his heart or society. ‘I Miss You When I See You’ is available now on Dekkoo!

Though Nev is happily situated with his family in Los Angeles, he has yet to reveal his secret to his old school Jewish parents who are coming over to visit their new grandson for the first time. Watch ‘Paradise Apartments – Generation Clash’ now on Dekkoo!

One month and $10,000 is “not enough” to put on an off-Broadway musical, but first-time director Rob Gould attempts it anyway, and takes us along for the ride. Taking his script for ‘Little House on the Ferry’ and making it a reality isn’t smooth sailing. From casting and table reads to costuming and rehearsal, Theality TV follows the creative process step by step until the final performance itself. ‘Theality TV’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Kuntergrau: Season 3 is Now Available

In the German series Kuntergrau, coming out is part of the past while sex and love is mundane. A group of five gay friends between seventeen and twenty-four years old deal with everyday problems and experience the meaning of love, sex, and friendship.

The show focuses on Leopold (Marcel Meyer) who does not want to identify himself through his sexuality and Noah (Daniel Printz), whose BDSM fetish challenges his ex-boyfriend, Jan (Fabian Freistühler), to the point where their relationship begins to break. Along with them are the promiscuous Marcel (Moustafa Tarraf), who works as a banker and is learning to live day-by-day as HIV positive. Last but not least, Lukas (Daniel Kosic) moves from the country to the big city to get away from his controlling parents… somewhat unsuccessfully.

The lives of these five men soon become intertwined and what results is a story that encapsulates what it means to be a young gay man in a big city.

Season 3 of Kuntergrau is now available on Dekkoo! Catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 as well!

https://www.dekkoo.com/kuntergrau

New This Week – 7/23/21

DJs, dancers, a party producer and an adult entertainer – take us on a wild ride through the inner workings of the New York City gay dance party subculture. Explore the eponymous “circuit” parties as the cast juggle career, love and the thrilling events themselves until a global pandemic and a series of unfortunate decisions turns their world on its head. ‘The Circuit’ is available now on Dekkoo!

“Who’s on Top?” (narrated by George Takei) is the emotional story of members of the LGBTQ community who challenge stereotypes about gender and sexuality and demonstrate their diverse journeys in overcoming physical and figurative mountains. Stream ‘Who’s On Top?” now on Dekkoo!

After emigrating from Israel, Noam, a young transgender artist, is now happily living in New York with an older woman, but things change when an old friend from Tel Aviv comes to town for a visit. ‘The Friend From Tel Aviv” is now available on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Love sick and longing in Hong Kong.