Category: International Film

Short Film Spotlight: The Touching

A hidden secret borne of mutual self-discovery hides behind the bedroom door of brothers David and Marek (Herman Tajovský and Krystof Brand).

Though it all starts out as relatively innocent experimentation, Marek starts to feel that their curiosity has crossed the limits of brotherly love. When he begins to distance himself, the younger David struggles to understand why his beloved older brother’s attitude has suddenly shifted.

A mesmerizing 39-minute short film from Czech writer-director Dominik György, The Touching has a timeless quality that fits perfectly with the narrative’s boyhood coming-of-age themes. Filmed in black and white in a 1.33 aspect ratio, the film feels like it could have been made during just about any time over the last sixty years.

Handling deeply uncomfortable subject matter with intelligence, style and grace, the film earned numerous awards at festivals all around the world – and marked György as a distinct cinematic voice worth keeping an eye on. As of now, his resume only includes shorts, but we can’t wait to see what he’s able to do with a feature length film.

Watch the trailer for The Touching below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Skinny Fat

In Skinny Fat, a short Welsh comedy based on real events by writer-director Mathew David, a gay man confronts his insecurities in a store changing room, triggering him to relive a past trauma.

The filmmaker also stars as Mathew, a 33-year-old man shopping with his mom, Bernie (played by British comedy legend Ruth Madoc). Trying to find the perfectly fitting shirt proves difficult: the smalls are too small everything else is too big.

Mathew’s belly fat becoming the all-consuming focus of his attention causes his mother to be concerned about his behavior. Flashbacks to an abusive relationship with his ex-boyfriend only lead him deeper down the rabbit hole.

Being a loving mother, Bernie tries, through kindness and charm, to break him out of this dangerous path of self-sabotage. But can she pull him out of the darkness? Will Mathew find a way to be happy in his own skin? Or will he be destined to live in fear of his own body?

Watch a clip from Skinny Fat below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A couple crafts their future in the romantic Argentine drama ‘What We Wrote Together’

From writer-director Nicolás Teté, What We Wrote Together is a new feature film that portrays one particular moment in the life of a couple.

Mariano and Juan (Santiago Magariños and Ezequiel Martinez), two men in their mid-thirties, have been dating for more than six years. They share a dog and a quiet, seemingly happy life together.

Now that Juan, a novelist, has achieved some career success, the pair decide to pursue Mariano’s lifelong dream of running a plant nursery in the mountains. Just as the pair begin adjusting to their new environment – and Juan starts working on his newest novel – they receive an unexpected visit from a friend who shares some news that will have untold effects on their best laid plans.

Though they thought they were escaping the city for a peaceful new life, the couple soon find themselves dealing with uncertainty, resentment, trauma, ego and questions about what each of them really wants from life – and whether those individual aspirations align with their shared goals as a couple.

Featuring truly charming performances from the two adorable lead actors, What We Wrote Together is a sexy and thought-provoking romantic comedy-drama about true partnership – and all the baggage that comes along with it.

Watch the trailer for What We Wrote Together below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: That Dark Day

Fábio (Miguel Filpi) is a young trans man from Sao Paulo who works as a caregiver for the elderly. Mourning the end of a recent love affair, his memories and dreams offer a closer look at his coming-of-age and the dilemmas he faced while coming to understand his gender and sexuality.

Everything starts coming into focus for Fábio when he begins working for Louise (Isabelle Lenoble), an elderly cisgender woman who is living far away from any close friends or family. Slowly dying of a terminal illness, Fábio becomes her rock. As weeks go by, their relationship matures into one of abiding affection and deep understanding.

Living in a polarized society, fraught with political and financial turmoil, the pair begin to rely solely on one another and start learning how to say their goodbye – he to a cherished relationship and the person he used to be; and she to life itself.

From Brazilian writer-director Daniel Guarda, That Dark Day is a profoundly emotional 29-minute short film that will linger with you long after the credits roll.

Celebrated at screenings around the world, the film won the ‘Silver Rabbit Award,’ the Audience Choice for Best Brazilian Short Film, at MixBrasil Festival of Diversity Culture when it debuted in 2022.

Watch the trailer for That Dark Day below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Two men get a second chance at love in the romantic drama ‘About Us’

Co-writer and director Thiago Cazado also stars in the film About Us as Diego, a young man who is planning to leave his hometown in Brazil to attend a film school in California – where he’ll be gone for four years.

In order to take this step forward, he will have to leave behind everything he has ever loved… including Matheus (Rodrigo Bittes), a handsome young man with whom he fell madly in love and shared a brief passionate affair.

Ten years later, having returned to Brazil, Diego decides to write a novel about their relationship, using his camera instead of his pen.

This heartfelt biopic shows how passion can increase our motivation in life, but also how making tough choices can affect that passion. Romantic and intimate, filmed with a handheld, fly-on-the-wall intimacy, About Us brings us right into the middle of a tricky relationship – portrayed with aplomb by the two lead actors.

Originally released in 2017, About Us is available once again Dekkoo.You can check out other work from the co-filmmakers right now as well. Cazado’s erotic drama Behind the Trees, co-director Mauro Carvalho’s political thriller The Senator and their joint effort, the 2019 romance Cousins are all available to stream now.

Watch the trailer for About Us below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Havana

Living in Cuba in the 1970s, immigration officer Antonio (Ifeanyi Dike Jr.) earns money on the side by selling illegal visas at exorbitant prices. And that’s not his only secret. He’s also hiding his sexuality.

His hush-hush lifestyle is starting to get the better of him. Afraid of the outside world, he spends most of his time confined within the walls of his small Havana apartment. His only solace comes in the form of visits from Jian (Shaofei Chen), his secret boyfriend. But when Jian arrives one night looking for an illegal visa of his own, and an opportunity to start a new life, it becomes clear that Antonio is not the only person keeping secrets.

An exceptionally well-made short film from accomplished Hollywood production manager Faith Strongheart, Havana uses top-notch talent to tell a bittersweet story about the forbidden queer love and two men’s desperate longing for escape from an unforgiving time and place.

Watch a short clip from Havana below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A conservative politician keeps a boyfriend on the side in the erotic thriller ‘The Senator’

Brazilian Senator Arthur Alencar leads a double life. To the media and his constituents, he is a conservative champion of morality whose embrace of traditional family values has led to a surge in popularity.

Renan, his younger, long-suffering secret gay lover, gets to see a much different side of the charismatic politician – and it’s not always pretty.

Torn between his politics and his heart, Renan’s predicament intensifies when he starts falling in love with Victor, an ambitious journalist who is determined to expose the senator’s hypocritical life. But as the truth inches closer to the surface, it begins to spell grave danger for everyone involved.

From Brazilian filmmaker Mauro Carvalho, who co-directed About Us and Cousins with collaborator Thiago Cazado, The Senator is a sly and subversively sexy erotic thriller that doubles as a wicked satire of conservative politics.

Check out the poster for The Senator below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A father goes to great lengths to protect his son in the gripping drama ‘You’ll Never Be Alone’

Accomplished Chilean actor Sergio Hernández stars in You’ll Never Be Alone as Juan, the quiet, introverted manager of a mannequin factory who is hoping to be made partner after 25 years of devoted service.

At home, his 18-year-old son, Pablo (Andrew Bargsted), has dreams of stardom, studying dance at a respected art school. In addition to teaching neighborhood children choreographed dance numbers and clubbing with his best girlfriend on the weekends, Pablo’s life revolves around performing, auditioning and occasionally sneaking around to sleep with another boy from the neighborhood.

While Pablo and his widowed, hard-working dad don’t have a whole lot in common, neither seems to let that get in the way of caring for each other. Everything changes, however, when Pablo is brutally attacked by a group of homophobic kids.

With legal action and medical insurance proving costly, Juan makes the desperate decision to start seeking out his own form of justice.

Based on true events, this impressive debut film from musician Alex Anwandter tells a gripping story of betrayal and redemption. You’ll Never Be Alone is a stirring testament to a father’s love and a powerful treatise on Chile’s generational divide.

Watch the trailer for You’ll Never Be Alone below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.