Category: Gay Icon

New This Week – 6/10/22

Director Oskar Roehler and revelatory star Oliver Masucci bring to the screen the story of prolific German New Wave filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder – following his early days in the theater through to his reign as one of Europe’s most daring and original visionaries. ‘Enfant Terrible’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Mirna and Pablo start a friendship framed in reflections about identity, loneliness and death during the 1990s in Chile. From writer-director Manu Morales Contreras, ‘Eyeshadow’ is a story about fellowship and the HIV/AIDS crisis inspired by the literary works of Pedro Lemebel. Watch ‘Eyeshadow’ now on Dekkoo!

In season 2 of the Dekkoo-original series ‘Here Comes Your Man’ Aaron tries to navigate his causal relationship with Julio somewhere more serious. Meanwhile, Jordan settles into Omaha Nebraska to record his album. Dustin becomes entangled in an online romance while Cassie reignites her romance with Malcolm.

Watch the trailer for Season 2 now!

Watch Here Comes Your Man Season 1 only on Dekkoo!

New This Week – 5/13/22

***EPISODES 21 – 24 ARE AVAILABLE NOW***

Scott, a mild-mannered gay writer in Los Angeles, gets wrapped up into a world of bad boys and their crime-filled past after being adopted as their “Daddy Scott”, whether he likes it or not. New episodes of ‘Bad Boy’ are available now on Dekkoo!

A romantic dinner turns into a ludicrous disaster when Bruno, an anxious psychology student, has to lie to his control-freak boyfriend about what really happened during his PhD’s entrance interview earlier that day. A short, 20-minute comedy – drama from French director Maxime S. Girard. Watch ‘The PhD’ now on Dekkoo!

Jobriath’s legacy goes deeper than the labels hung upon him. His reign was brief – two years and two albums. Sabotaged by a publicity machine run amok and dismissed by critics, Jobriath was excommunicated from the music business, and became an early casualty of AIDS. Now new generations of fans have discovered him. Through interviews, archival material and animation, experience the heartbreaking, unbelievable story of the one, the only, Jobriath. Stream ‘Jobriath A.D.’ now on Dekkoo!

____________________

Coming next week: The Perfect David.

New This Week – 4/28/22

What begins as a friendship turns into a fierce and complicated romance in this heart-wrenching prison drama about two men who meet behind bars and try to make their relationship work outside of lock-up. ‘Luz’ is a story of survival, not only for the lives of both men, but for their relationship and the unconventional way it came together. ‘Luz’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

In this short film from director Anderson Bardot, a contemporary dance company is about to debut “The Uninhabitable Ones,” its newest performance which addresses black homosexuality as its theme. Running parallel to the rehearsals, the choreographer builds a friendship with Pedro, a black youth who no longer wishes to identify as “a boy.” Stream ‘The Uninhabitable Ones’ now on Dekkoo!

This truly joyous documentary follows groundbreaking filmmaker and poet James Broughton. His remarkable story spans the post-war San Francisco Renaissance, his influence on the Beat generation, a lifetime of acclaim for his joyous experimental films and poetry celebrating the human body, finding his soulmate at age 61, and finally, his ascendancy as a revered bard of sexual liberation. ‘Big Joy’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

______________________

Coming next week: Those Bears are back!

Don’t miss this award-winning biopic about one of the past century’s most celebrated gay artists

Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski brings to screen the life and work of one of the most influential and celebrated figures of 20th century LGBTQ life.

Known to the world as Tom of Finland, artist Touko Laaksonen shaped the fantasies of a generation of gay men with his proudly erotic and taboo-shattering drawings of testosterone-filled, muscle-bound men. But who was the man behind the leather?

This stirring biopic follows his life from the trenches of WWII and repressive Finnish society of the 1950s through his struggle to get his work published in California, where he and his art were finally embraced amid the sexual revolution of the 1970s.

Tom’s story is one of love, courage and perseverance, mirroring the gay liberation movement for which his leather-clad studs served as a defiant emblem.

Watch the trailer for Tom of Finland below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New To Dekkoo – 2/25/22

Tom of Finland shaped the fantasies of a generation of gay men, influencing art and fashion before crossing over into the wider cultural consciousness. But who was the man behind the leather? This stirring biopic follows his life from the trenches of WWII and the repressive Finnish society of the 1950s through his struggle to get his work published in California, where he and his art were finally embraced amid the sexual revolution of the 1970s. Watch ‘Tom of Finland’ now on Dekkoo!

While his strict father dreams of making him a champion, 16-year-old Amine practices synchronized swimming in secret. Lost between the fear of disappointing his dad and the desire to become the person he really is, the young man slowly finds the courage to accept his choices – and himself. ‘Amine; is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

From the heart of the Amazon comes this amazing compilation of LGBTQ+ short films from emerging Latin American directors from Brazil and Peru. These thought-provoking stories prove that universal social themes have no borders. Includes the short films ‘The Last Romantics’, ‘Savage Fire’, ‘My Only Earth is the Moon’, ‘Sandra Calling’ and ‘Carlito Leaves Forever’. ‘Coming Clean’ is available now on Dekkoo!

__________________________

Coming next week: A beautifully evocative “night-in-the-life” gay fever dream.

New This Week – 1/28/22

Jin Woo lives a simple country life, spending his days working on a local farm and keeping a watchful eye on his adventurous young daughter. When his city-dwelling lover comes to visit, Jin Woo starts to envision their future as a family before the surprise arrival of his twin sister threatens to complicate his dream. ‘A Distant Place’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo.

Director Serena Porcher-Carli creates a cozy and intimate atmosphere to draw a short documentary portrait of Enzo, a young transgender boy who tells us the extraordinary story of his life so far. Watch the short film ‘Enzo’ now on Dekkoo!

In this intimate and innovative film about artist David Hockney, director Jack Hazan creates an improvisatory narrative-nonfiction hybrid. The result is at once a time capsule of hedonistic gay life in the 1970s and an honest-yet-tender depiction of gay male romance. A true classic, ‘A Bigger Splash’ is an invaluable view of art history in action. ‘A Bigger Splash’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

_________________________

Coming next week: In a high-rise apartment in Paris, four men and one woman gather to share their experiences of a man with whom they have all been either romantically or sexually involved.

The New Queer Cinema Classic Poison is Now Available on Dekkoo!

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival, Poison was the second feature directed by Todd Haynes – the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind Far from Heaven, Velvet Goldmine and Carol.

This groundbreaking American Indie was the most fervently debated film of the early 1990s and a trailblazing landmark of queer cinema. A work of immense visual invention, Haynes’ spectacular follow-up to his legendary Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is audacious, disturbing and thrillingly cinematic.

Inspired by the writings of Jean Genet, Poison deftly interweaves trio of transgressive tales – “Hero,” “Horror” and “Homo” – that build toward a devastating climax.

“Hero,” shot in mock TV-documentary style, tells a bizarre story of suburban patricide and a miraculous flight from justice; “Horror,” filmed like a delirious ’50s B-movie melodrama, is a gothic tale of a mad sex experiment which unleashes a disfiguring plague; while “Homo” explores the obsessive sexual relationship between two prison inmates.

A runaway hit which made national headlines when it was attacked by right-wing figures including Dick Armey, Ralph Reed and minister Donald Wildmon, Poison is unsettling, unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining.

Watch the original theatrical trailer for Poison below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 2/5/21

‘So Far, So Close’ is an unfolding story about the worlds we create for ourselves when viewing life through a screen. Created, shot, and edited entirely remotely during the midst of a global pandemic, ‘So Far, So Close’ is a reflection of the world we live in, telling the stories of the barriers we build, the ones we choose, and how we’re all just hoping to connect. ‘So Far, So Close’ is available now on Dekkoo!

Adapted from an award-winning biography, this acclaimed drama follows Australian artist Adam Cullen and his real-life biographer Erik Jensen. As the two men grow closer, their professional relationship turns into a personal one… and soon spirals into abuse and dependence. Watch ‘Acute Misfortune’ now on Dekkoo!

Khalid was born in Iran, a country where having feelings for another man can lead to the death penalty. Nico was born in Sweden, a country where it’s openly accepted for a man to have a boyfriend. And yet it’s Nico who keeps holding back when Khalid tries to take their relationship to another level. ‘Bror’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Moroni Benally is running for the presidency of the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American nation in the U.S. Young, gay, Mormon, and highly educated, he sets out to confront the political establishment in a homecoming that challenges what he both imagined home, and himself, to be. ‘Moroni For President is streaming now on Dekkoo!

______________________

Coming next week: After the tragic death of his son, a 55-year-old police officer wants to find out more about his life.

The Ice King tells a story of art, sport, sexuality and rebellion

Featuring incredible unseen footage of some of his mort remarkable performances, the searing documentary The Ice King tells the story of lost figure skating icon John Curry. With access to Curry’s personal letters, archive interviews, and interviews with his family, friends and collaborators, this is a portrait of the man who turned ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form.

Watch any figure skating and it falls into two possible camps: before and after John Curry. From what was a macho, technical sport whose judges punished deviation blossomed – through John Curry’s stubborn beauty – ice-dancing. This was no Holiday on Ice, but a new artistic medium. After winning gold at the Winter Olympics for a rebelliously balletic routine, Curry saw the world’s stages sheeted with ice. Audiences and reviewers alike were enthralled by his genius. But Curry’s story is about more than skating. On the night of the final, Curry became the first openly gay Olympian at a time when homosexuality was barely legal.

From bullying and prejudice, to relief in the gay underworld, to his untimely death from AIDS, Curry’s story dovetails with the experiences of a generation. Tortured by demons, Curry was forever on the run. Never owning a home, he lived on the favors of those who loved him. The only place he found true freedom was the ice.

The Ice King tells the story of a man whose body was a battleground. From love affairs, to violence in sex clubs, to its ‘unmanly’ elegance on the ice, every act was rebellion. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

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

New This Week – 11/27/20

A polyamorous male couple test the limits of a restrictive society when they become romantically entangled with a beautiful young woman. ‘The Taste of Betel Nut’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo!

A seemingly pious Hasidic man living a secret double life misplaces his black hat one night which will cause his two separate lives to collide in a way he never imagined. Watch ‘Black Hat’ now on Dekkoo!

John Curry transformed ice skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his 1976 Olympic win, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not fully legal. Ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, Curry was an artist and an athlete whose body time and again – sometimes against his will – became a political battlefield. ‘The Ice King’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

_____________________

Coming next week – Dekkoo Films present a new original short film from the winner of our ‘Love & Distance’ short film competition!