Category: International Film

Now Available: Are We Lost Forever

Hampus and Adrian’s on-again off-again relationship gets the final nail in the coffin one morning when Hampus finally works up the courage to reveal his love has fizzled out for good.

Since they were in a long term relationship thought to last forever, so becomes the long process of their breakup. The walls where pictures of them together once hung become increasingly bare, the pillow that once steadily carried the scent of Hampus begins to weaken, and old videos of a romantic holiday now seem a fleeting dream.

As the story unfolds the two are both pushed further apart but fate seems to continue to find ways of bringing the men together. Although they are broken up, lingering are the feelings of longing and loss.

Featuring terrific lead performances from Swedish actors Jonathan Andersson and Björn Elgerd, the new break-up drama Are We Lost Forever marks the feature-length debut of award-winning short film director David Färdmar.

Watch the trailer for Are We Lost Forever below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Don’t miss the acclaimed, decades-spanning French miniseries Proud

In 1981, it was still illegal to be gay in France. Today, same-sex marriage is recognized and has paved the way for legalizing the adoption of children by LGBTQ families.

With stories set in 1981, 1999 and 2013, the epic, critically-acclaimed three-part French miniseries Proud tells the story of Charles (Frédéric Pierrot), Victor (Samuel Theis) and Diego (Julien Lopez), three generations of people from the same family who represent the seismic social changes that took place in just three decades.

Created by Philippe Faucon, the award-winning director of Fatima (the 2016 Cesar winner for Best Film), this episodic cinematic event is a chronology of tolerance and a portrait of one family through changing times.

Watch the trailer for Proud below. All three episodes are available now on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: My Loneliness is Killing Me

Proudly colorful femme Elliott (Luke Elliott) always appears to be the life of the party. But behind the make-up, he struggles in his search for sexual intimacy. When he manages to lure the animalistic Jack (Jamie Robson) back to his apartment for a late-night hook-up, he unexpectedly unearths a dark emotional connection.

Touching on the hot topics of hook-up culture and toxic masculinity, My Loneliness is Killing Me explores loneliness and division among gay and queer communities against a cold, neon metropolis.

Written by Michael Lee Richardson and directed by Tim Courtney, both Glasgow natives, My Loneliness is Killing Me is a dark, 17-minute short film that should connect with anyone afraid of living or dying without intimacy.

“What drew me to the project were the characters and the story’s commentary on modern issues,” said director Courtney.

“We have a character in Jack, who is openly gay, married and so ‘masculine’ he is almost homophobic. He’s a walking contradiction, a byproduct of toxic masculinity. He is someone who has married out of status and social obligation, and not necessarily for love. Elliott, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. Someone who embraces his ‘Queer’ identity. However, he is a victim to the new breed of homosexual men like Jack. Someone who feels left behind by his community in a world where being feminine is deemed ugly and unworthy.”

“Both men appeal to my obsession for complex characters who are dealing with their own differing experiences of loneliness, in their own conflicting ways.”

Watch a short trailer for My Loneliness is Killing Me below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

And Then We Danced is one of the year’s most powerful films

A passionate tale of love and liberation set amidst the conservative confines of modern Georgian society, And Then We Danced follows Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), a devoted dancer who has been training for years with his partner Mary (Ana Javakishvili) for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble.

The arrival of another male dancer, Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) – gifted with perfect form and equipped with a rebellious streak – throws Merab off balance, sparking both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause him to risk his future in dance as well as his relationships with Mary and his family.

Met with great hostility locally when it debuted in Georgian theaters, And Then We Danced is a bold, unforgettable romance featuring truly stunning dance sequences. The film was in the middle of its theatrical run in the United States earlier this year when national theaters began closing as a response to COVID-19. We’re happy audiences will have a chance to catch up with it now. It’s easily one of 2020’s most powerful films.

Watch the trailer for And Then We Danced below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 10/23/20

In 1981, love was forbidden. In 1999, starting a family seemed impossible. By 2013, everything had changed. From Philippe Faucon, the award-winning director of Fatima, this amazing new three-part cinematic event takes us through each of these years. ‘Proud’ tells the stories of Charles, Victor and Diego, three generations of the same family who represent the seismic social changes that took place in just three decades. ‘Proud’ is available to watch now on Dekkoo!

One morning it is over. For Hampus it is a relief to break up from their destructive relationship, while Adrian is devastated. Will he be able to survive without the love of his life, or is there a way of somehow getting him back? ‘Are We Lost Forever’ is available exclusively on Dekkoo!

Friends Adam and Luke are the life of the party. When they decide that Luke should host a party at his house, what was meant to be a night of fun without responsibilities turns out to be a nightmare for Adam. Stream ’46’ now on Dekkoo!

After a shocking election puts a bigot into the Vice Presidency, Ethan must grapple with his fear of the future for the LGBT community and decide how far he’s willing to go to fight it. ‘Snowflake’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: The new Dekkoo-original series ‘Soul Mate’ debuts.

Two men embark on a revelatory road trip in Drive Me Home

When Antonio (Vinicio Marchioni) and Agostino (Marco D’Amore) were growing up together in a small town in Sicily, they each dreamt of living completely different lives… somewhere else. Now thirty-year-olds, their initial dreams have somewhat come true. They both live abroad, but they lost touch many years ago.

When Antonio discovers that the house he grew up in, which had been empty for a long time, is about to be sold at auction, he decides to start revisiting some of his past and reconnects with his childhood friend in the process. When Antonio and Agostino come back together, they find that their lives have changed a lot. Soon, during a road trip through Europe to reclaim the childhood property in question, old conflicts and new revelations rise to the surface, bringing them close together once again.

From writer-director Simone Catania and co-writer Fabio Natale, Drive Me Home tells a generational story about finding a place called home… wherever you are. It’s also a refreshing story about straight-gay male friendship not often seen.

Watch the trailer for Drive Me Home below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 10/16/20

A passionate coming-of-age tale set amidst the conservative confines of modern Tbilisi, the film follows Merab, a competitive dancer who is thrown off balance by the arrival of Irakli, a fellow male dancer with a rebellious streak. ‘And Then We Danced’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

When Elliott lures the animalistic Jack to his apartment for a late night hook up, he unexpectedly unearths a dark emotional connection. Stream ‘My Loneliness Is Killing Me’ now on Dekkoo!

‘Moments of Awakening’ follows Paolo as he makes peace with his past relationships with Sherwin and Sandino. It is also the story of a people whose lives are endangered by the fascist Duterte regime, and the events that lead to their awakening and empowerment. Watch ‘Moments of Awakening’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: “One of the most exciting series of the year.” – Cahiers du Cinema

New Dekkoo-Original Film: Vilom

Vilom, a lonely young man from India, is obsessed with becoming internet-famous and deeply confused about his sexuality.

When he moves in with Amay, a dynamic, openly gay hairdresser, and Nivi, a beautiful struggling actress, he finds that they are both slowly falling in love with him. This sudden love triangle leads to even more confusion, forcing Vilom to examine his sexual and romantic needs on a deeper level.

Meanwhile, societal pressures and prejudices are building just outside the walls of their home.

The feature-length debut of Mumbai-based actor Sunder Pal, Vilom is an unflinching sociopolitical drama centered around gay/straight relationships. This films tells a provocative story of risk-taking, creativity, rebellion and survival.

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

New This Week – 10/9/20

When former childhood friends Antonio and Agostino reunite in their thirties, they find that their lives have taken them down completely different paths. As the two embark on a road trip together through Europe to settle some unfinished business, old conflicts and new revelations are gradually unearthed. ‘Drive Me Home’ is available to watch now on Dekkoo!

Two men of different age meet for the strangest encounter of their lives. Stream ‘His Hands’ now on Dekkoo!

A radical, western re-imagining of Henry David Thoreau’s classic, interlacing three stories about the trappings of 21st century life and those who dream dangerously of escape. ‘Walden: Life in the Woods’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Tbilisi is the setting for this charged romance between two men training as traditional Georgian dancers

Don’t Miss Writer-Director Marco Berger’s New Thriller Young Hunter

Ezequiel (Juan Palbo Cestaro) is a fifteen-year-old kid on the cusp of his sexual awakening. When he meets the handsome, twenty-one-year-old Mono (Lautaro Rodriguez), he’s so excited that he jumps into a quick relationship before he’s had time to really consider whether or not it’s a good idea.

Mono invites Ezequiel to his cousin’s villa, to spend a weekend together. But, while returning from the trip, Mono disappears completely, no longer responding to any of Ezekiel’s texts. The situation is confusing… until Chino (Juan Barberini), Mono’s cousin, sends him a hidden camera video of Ezekiel and Mono having sex, blackmailing him into making his own sex tape with a minor to be sold on the dark web, in order to keep his secret hidden. 

Ezequiel, with an impossible choice, decides to try seducing Juan Ignacio (Patricio Rodríguez), a thirteen-year-old boy whom he knows from school and suspects has a crush on him. Ezequiel soon turns from prey to hunter – against his own will.

From prolific director Marco Berger (Absent, Taekwondo, Plan B), Young Hunter is an intense thriller that has earned rave reviews on the film festival circuit. Watch the trailer for the film below. It’s available now on Dekkoo.