Category: International Film

A fascinating fluid life is chronicled in the documentary Electroboy

Jimmy Cliff once sang “You can get it if you really want.” If this sentence applies to anyone, then it most definitely applies to model, snowboard pioneer, advertising whiz, author, party organizer and composer Florian Burkhardt, who managed to talk everyone around him out of their own goals and into achieving his own.

A documentary by Swiss filmmaker Marcel Gisler (Mario, Fogi is a Bastard), Electroboy tells the breathtaking true life story of a young man who leaves his claustrophobic Swiss surroundings for the wide world in search of fame and recognition.

In a series of success stories he reinvents himself time and again, changing settings and careers like other people change their shirts. Yet Florian’s life on the fast track turns into an escape from his own biography, which finally catches up with him at full force.

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

Now Available: From Afar

Winner of the Golden Lion Award (the “Best Film” award, essentially) at Venice Film Festival, Alfredo Castro (The Club, The Prince) stars in this gripping and complex drama from Venezuela.

Wealthy, middle-aged Armando (Castro) lures young men to his home with money. He doesn’t want to touch them – or to be touched. He simply wants to watch from a strict distance. Armando’s first encounter with a young street thug named Elder (played by newcomer Luis Silva) is violent, but this doesn’t discourage the lonely man’s fascination with the tough handsome teenager.

Financial interest keeps Elder visiting Armando regularly. Despite their taboo arrangement, an unexpected intimacy begins to emerge between the two mismatched men. However, Armando’s haunted past looms large, and Elder soon ends up committing the ultimate act of affection on Armando’s behalf.

From Afar is available now on Dekkoo. Watch the trailer below.

Director Marco Berger’s The Carnival is an erotic feast for the eyes!

Marco Berger, the maverick Argentinian filmmaker behind Absent, Young Hunter, Taekwondo, The Blonde One and many more, turns his unparalleled eye for the male form to one of the world’s largest displays of masculine bodies- a traditional South American Carnival.

Using two men as our primary guides, we watch the men of the town prepare and, eventually participate, in parade like no other.

The sensual joy of watching the men of Gualeguaychú transform in to Dionysiac figures via costumes, glitter and feathers is the perfect canvas for Berger’s talents.

A visual, erotic feast for the senses, The Carnival is not to be missed.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Gentleman Spa

Hao is a lonely and romantic young janitor who works at a spa for gay men. He dreams of finding a loving, committed relationship, but lacks the confidence to make it happen.

When he meets Kai, a customer, and has an opportunity to become his masseuse, an unexpected bond begins to grow and Hao suddenly sees a chance to make his dreams come true.

A short comedy-drama from Taiwanese co-writer Bon An and co-writer/director Jhi-Han Yu, Gentleman Spa is filled with awkward sexual tension, but also packs a positive message about feeling comfortable in your own skin (especially when it’s coming into contact with attractive strangers).

Watch a short trailer for Gentleman Spa below. The full 18-minute short film is now available on Dekkoo.

The arrival of a secret gay lover threatens to derail an already tense wedding in the new drama The Marriage

With their wedding only two weeks away, Anita and Bekim (Adriana Matoshi and Alban Ukaj) are adding the final touches to their big day. Despite some major issues involving their respective families, the couple is managing to get through all of their many preparations.

However, when Bekim’s secret gay ex-lover, Nol (Genc Salihu), returns from abroad unexpectedly, the situation becomes complicated, especially when Bekim realizes that Nol is still in love with him.

Inevitably, the wedding banquet becomes loaded with tension when this unusual love triangle starts to unravel.

A touching and compassionate drama about the impossibility of a gay love affair in Kosovo’s patriarchal society, The Marriage is a well-acted and absorbing film debut from director Blerta Zeqiri. The film was the recipient of the FIPRESCI and Special Jury prizes in Tallinn and was the official Kosovar submission to the Academy Awards.

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

Short Film Spotlight: The Pier Man

Theo (Hubert Girard) is a young dock worker who is starting to find only monotony in his day-to-day life. When he meets the alluring Giuseppe (Youssouf Abi-Ayad) a disillusioned sailor spending some time ashore, things begin to change.

Through Giuseppe, Theo starts to imagine a potential new life for himself – one far more exciting than the one he is living. Soon, he musters up the courage to face the waves, escape his dull existence and get closer to Giuseppe by joining his crew.

From Swiss writer-director Loïc Hobi, The Pier Man is a sexy, stylish and thought-provoking 20-minute short film. Using an almost 1980s-style synth score and spare, careful cinematography, the film takes a look at what life is like in an only-male world out at sea – and how, for some, that could be either a blessing or a curse.

The Pier Man is available now on Dekkoo.

Beach Rats star Harris Dickinson drives men wild in the vibrant Postcards from London

Jim (played by Harris Dickinson – the star of Beach Rats and the upcoming The King’s Man) is so beautiful you might think a Greek sculpture had just come to life.

His future in the cultural-desert that is his small Cumbrian town would consist of working at the local nuclear power plant Sellafield, socializing at his local, and going to bingo as a treat. So like many before him, Jim journeys to the great Metropolis that is London to seek fame, fortune, culture and excitement. The epicenter of all this activity is of course Soho, with its bright neon lights, street life, and bars catering to every gender and whim.

From writer-director Steve McLean, Postcards From London tells the story of this remarkably beautiful teenager as falls in with The Raconteurs – a gang of unusual high class male escorts who specialize in post-coital conversation.

From shy novice to sought after escort and eventually artist’s muse, Jim would be the toast of the town if it wasn’t for his annoying affliction. He suffers from Stendhal Syndrome, a rare condition which causes him to hallucinate and faint when he encounters real works of art. But when Jim is roped into the world of detecting art forgery, could his condition bring about his downfall?

Watch the trailer for Postcards from London below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: A Cemetery of Doves

“Silence is the language of God. All else is poor translation.” – Rumi

From Nigerian writer-director Adé Sultan Sangodoyin, A Cemetery of Doves is a thoughtful and deeply poetic coming-of-age short film about love, heartbreak and navigating the world as a queer individual.

Though the film features no dialog, the feelings are present. The filmmaker also employs subtitles to give us an idea of the young protagonist’s inner dialog.

What story exists in the film concerns a young Nigerian teenager’s misguided declaration of love for an older man. When his sentiments are met with rejection, he subsequently struggles with heartbreak and fear for his safety and future in a society which is intolerant of the LGBTQ community.

Adé Sultan Sangodoyin studied English Literature and Journalism at the University of Buckingham in England. His films, Different Plains and Eyimofe have screened at film festivals all over the world. His short stories, “A Language of the Unconscious”, “Dad Attempted Many Things and Failed” and “The Charred Flower” have been published in the Kalahari Review and Agbowo Magazine, respectively. A Cemetery of Doves marks him as a visually gifted filmmaker to watch.

Watch the trailer for A Cemetery of Doves below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Coming Soon to Dekkoo: Abu: Father

CW: Sexual Assault

Director Arshad Khan delivers an emotional and unflinchingly personal documentary about his relationship with himself and his family. The film documents Khan’s significant experiences growing up in a Muslim family in India such as an early love for fashion and appearances, his strong relationship with his mother and his sisters, and being molested at age four.

Arshad and his family eventually end up moving to Canada, allowing for him to nurture his growing love for art and his growing understanding of his sexuality.

Khan does not shy away from the darker moments in his life as he takes the audience on an emotional journey towards self acceptance.

Utilizing live action interviews, inventive animation, and personal home movie footage Khan paints a fascinatingly complex portrait of an equally complex man. At times feeling like a personal essay rather than a documentary, paired with Khan’s soothing self narration make the story feel incredibly personal.

The real standout of the film is Khan’s extensive library of home video footage. Beginning from the beginning of his life and stretching all the way to nearly the present, it allows you to feel almost like you are there with Khan through all of the significant moments of his life.

You can find Abu: Father streaming soon on Dekkoo

Coming Soon To Dekkoo: Postcards From London

After leaving his parents in small town Essex, young but naive Jim heads to big city Soho to pursue big dreams of arts and education. Things don’t exactly go according to plan for Jim, we find him asleep in a grimey alleyway and robbed blind.

After aimlessly walking the Soho streets, Jim finds himself in the company of a group of male prostitutes specializing in post sexual conversation, calling themselves “The Raconteurs”. Jim is quickly thrown into an incredibly stylized world of London sex work and self discovery.

Postcards from London is a visually stunning ride. The film has an incredibly unique tone and visual style showcasing moody and atmospheric sets with bright pops of color. Contributing to the film’s style is the impeccable fashion worn by the film’s characters. The Raconteurs themselves sport incredible ensemble outfits that make the world of the film feel unique and alive.

Art also plays a large role in Jim’s story. Many famous paintings become topics of post coital conversation and paintings are even recreated by the cast during several dream sequences. These dreams are highlights of the film, providing an opportunity for some truly stunning imagery.

You find Postcards From London streaming on Dekkoo soon.