International Film – Page 69 – Discover great gay stories.

Short Film Spotlight: Spring

Writer-director Hong Khaou’s 13-minute short film Spring could be either a horror-thriller or a wildly erotic celebration of how exploring one’s kinks through BDSM can be a liberating experience. It’s hard to tell, even once the film has ended, and that’s all by design.

Chris O’Donnell (no, not the one you’re thinking of) stars as Joe, a young man who clearly wants to explore his submissive side, but has some reservations. He’s particularly nervous during his first meeting with Tim (Jonathan Keane), a handsome, slightly older stranger who assures him that he’s “in safe hands.” Joe isn’t so sure, but he’s just curious enough to find out.

For Joe, this potential encounter all about the sexual thrill. He relishes kneeling in front of his older master, taking in his scent. Tim, however, is more interested in the psychological aspects of their coupling. Once they have arrived back at what may or may not be Tim’s residence, a cavernous home with plenty of empty rooms to explore (and no one to hear you scream), a struggle plays out between their very different desires, after which, nothing will be the same as before.

Khaou builds tension from the very first frames of Spring and never lets up. There’s no moment during this stylish short where we’re not wondering if Tim is a sociopath who plans to murder – or at least deeply psychologically scar – Joe. His experience, equal fear and excitement, becomes our own.

Spring earned great acclaim at film festivals all around the world when it debuted in 2011 and it’s easy to see why. Hong Khaou’s next project was the 2014 feature-length film Lilting, a deeply emotional drama staring Ben Whishaw as a young man trying to form a relationship with his deceased lover’s Chinese-Cambodian mother. We highly recommend both and can’t wait to see what he does next.

Spring is available not on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Fireflies

When Ramin (Arash Marandi) hid on a cargo ship leaving Turkey, he never expected to end up in Veracruz, Mexico by accident.

Having escaped persecution as a young gay man in his home country, Iran, Ramin suddenly finds himself far from everything he knows, living the life of an exile in this nostalgic, tropical port where his past and future are constantly confronted by new relationships and revived desires.

Written and directed by Bani Khoshnoudi, an Iranian-born Mexico City resident, Fireflies heralds the birth of a very talented female director whose personal story echoes throughout the film.

The title Fireflies is inspired by a 1975 op-ed by the late Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, who described “the state of fascism and cultural resistance in Italy at the time, creating a metaphor for resistance as the disappearance of fireflies,” said Khoshnoudi.

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

New This Week – 3/29/19

When Ramin hid on a cargo ship leaving Turkey, he never expected to end up in Veracruz, Mexico by accident. Having escaped persecution as a young gay man in his home country, Iran, he suddenly finds himself far from everything he knows, living the life of an exile in this nostalgic, tropical port where his past and future are constantly confronted by new relationships and revived desires. ‘Fireflies’ is available now exclusively on Dekkoo!

This short romantic thriller explores the emotional aftermath of a one-night stand (and the inherent risks of hook-up culture) as a lonely man imagines what life might be like with a mysterious stranger he picks up on the New York City subway. Stream ‘Michael Joseph Jason John’ now on Dekkoo!

An unusual set of circumstances conspire to force, Lorenzo and Caito, two teen boys who seem to have very little in common, to live under the same roof for a short period of time. They soon form an intense bond in this moving coming-of-age romance from Argentina. Watch ‘My Best Friend’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week – “…an uplifting experience, an inspirational, not to mention handsomely set-dressed, story of self-invention and survival. ” – Variety

Now Available: My Best Friend

The new coming-of-age drama My Best Friend follows Lorenzo (Angelo Mutti Spinetta), a quiet teen who lives in a small town at the edge of the world in beautiful Patagonia.

Lorenzo is a good student, a curious and smart young person far more skilled in music and literature than in sports. When a dramatic event leaves a family friend with nowhere to live, Caito (Lautaro Rodriguez), a year older than Lorenzo, comes to stay in their home.

Covered in fresh bruises, tattooed, and handsome, Caito is both a disturbing and fascinating new presence in Lorenzo’s life. As their friendship grows, Caito begins opening up to Lorenzo – and the more Caito reveals his true self, the more Lorenzo finds his feelings growing for his new house guest.

With beautiful cinematography and outstanding lead performances, this tender coming-of-age story from writer-director Martin Deus, making his feature-length film debut, examines the space between first crush and first love.

Watch the trailer for My Best Friend below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A bold and harrowing gay classic comes to Dekkoo

Adapted by playwright Martin Sherman from his groundbreaking play of the same name, Bent employs an impressive cast of familiar faces to tell a painful personal story about the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany.

In 1930s Berlin, Max (Clive Owen) sleeps with German SA officer Wolf (future “Game of Thrones” star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), only to see him killed by his fellow Nazis the next morning as part of the “Night of the Long Knives.”

Refusing an offer of new papers from his Uncle Freddie (Ian McKellen) for fear of leaving his boyfriend Rudy (Brian Webber) behind, Max and Rudy are found by the Gestapo, to whom Max lies about his homosexuality and his relationship. He is soon sent to Dachau, where he meets and falls in love with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau), who shows him the dignity that lies in acknowledging one’s beliefs, even in the face of incomprehensible persecution.

Originally staged as a Royal Court production in 1979, starring Ian McKellen and Tom Bell, which later transferred to the West End, Bent earned major acclaim right out of the gate. Richard Gere played Max in the original 1980 Broadway production. In 1989, Sean Mathias, the film’s director, helmed a revival of the play, performed as a one-night benefit for Stonewall, featuring Ian McKellen, Richard E Grant, Ian Charleson and Ralph Fiennes. After receiving critical acclaim, Mathias directed a full, award-winning run in 1990 – priming him to head up the film adaptation to come.

Also co-starring Mick Jagger, Jude Law, Rupert Graves, Paul Bettany, Sadie Frost and Rachel Weisz, Bent is an unparalleled gay classic that deserves to be seen. Released in 1997, the film has long been unavailable… until now. Bent is currently streaming on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 3/15/19

Two men fall in love behind the walls of a concentration camp in this powerful drama. Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau, Mick Jagger, Jude Law, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany, Rachel Weisz and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau star in this emotional adaptation of the award-winning stage play by Martin Sherman. ‘Bent’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Liam, a young man wracked with confusion after an incident guides him on a mission of self-discovery, faces choices that risk changing his life forever. Stream the gay short film ‘Crossroad’ now!

This poignant documentary focuses on the cultural and social movement known as “Queercore”, an offshoot of punk that was distinguished by its discontent with society’s disapproval of the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender communities. ‘Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution’ is now playing on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A brand new gay movie and gay series available exclusively on Dekkoo!

The romantic gay classic Come Undone still holds up almost 20 years later

Gorgeous bronzed bodies on the beaches of southern France and a passionate romance between two French teens are reason enough to see Come Undone, but this bittersweet, turn-of-the-millennium gay classic also has some profound things to say about the heartbreak of gay first love.

Eighteen-year-old Mathieu (Jérémie Elkaïm) is vacationing at the beach with his family when he meets local teen Cedric (Stéphane Rideau). After an extremely erotic kiss, the boys begin a hot and heavy affair, complete with skinny-dipping at night, nude dancing on the beach and intense lovemaking in the dunes. Yet as Mathieu grapples with his sexuality – and copes with his sick mother, absent father and a characteristically annoying little kid sister – his bond with Cedric grows stronger… until, like so many first loves before and since, it bursts.

Released to critical acclaim in 2000, Come Undone, directed and co-written by Sebastien Lifshitz, beautifully conveys Mathieu’s coming-of-age (a scene in which he comes out to his mother is still quite moving almost 20 years later). Both lead actors, Stéphane Rideau and Jérémie Elkaïm, are incredibly charismatic and give remarkable performances as the affectionate teens.

If you’ve never seen it before – or are just looking to dip your toes back in – Dekkoo has you covered. Come Undone is available now.

Don’t miss the scorching new thriller Sunburn

As the summer sun beams down on a gorgeous modern villa in the countryside of Portugal, a close-knit group of forty-something friends meets for a relaxing weekend by the pool. The group consists of Joana (Oceana Basílio), the stunningly beautiful lone female, and Francisco (Nuno Pardal), the man with whom she is planning to have a child; Vasco (Ricardo Pereira), a romantic looking to settle down into a committed relationship; and Simao (Richard Barbosa), a writer whose latest screenplay borrows heavily from their real lives.

Their peaceful camaraderie is soon upended, however, by a phone call from David, a former friend, previously ostracized by the group, who seems to have left a strong and lasting impression on each of them. After a long absence, he’s back in town and planning to stop by. It’s at this point that Sunburn, the newest film from writer-director Vicente Alves do Ó, begins to ramp up the dread and morph into a intriguing mystery. A reckoning, of some sort, is coming. What happened between David and the rest of the group to inspire such mixed emotions?

With a diverse writing background in film, television and theater, Vicente Alves do Ó became known in his country for creating successful biopics of some of Portugal’s most outcast poets. After his three first features, his 2017 film Al Berto (also available on Dekkoo) took him in a new direction, focusing on the LGBTQ themes. With a stellar cast and an eye for gorgeous compositions, Sunburn is a masterful addition to his already impressive resume.

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

New This Week – 3/8/19

Four friends meet for a weekend by the pool, when a sudden call disrupts the quietness of the hot countryside, an unexpected guest is coming for dinner. Soon, old wounds and old dreams, thought to be forgotten, start to resurface. ‘Sunburn’ is available to stream exclusively on Dekkoo right now!

Passions re-ignite and secrets revealed when a graphic designer reconnects with the great, lost love of his life for a weekend tryst at a house in the desert near Joshua Tree. Watch ‘Lazy Eye’ now on Dekkoo!

When a jock comes out as gay to his closest friends, each of the bros has a different reaction to the big news. Will their friendship win over discrimination? Watch the gay short film ‘Dudes’ on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Clive Owen stars as Max, a promiscuous gay man living in 1930s Berlin.

Cinema Spotlight: Taekwondo

You can almost smell (See? Taste? Feel? Hear?) the testosterone coming off of the screen in Taekwondo, a bro-tastic hang-out movie from prolific queer directors Marco Berger and Martin Farina.

In a beautiful country house in a chic suburb of Buenos Aires, Fernando (Lucas Papa) and his assortment of rowdy buddies are having a “boys only” weekend. Disconnected from the outside world, they do little more than bask in the hot sun, play in the swimming pool, smoke pot and drink – naked or half-naked pretty much the entire time.

Fernando has decided to shake things up this weekend by inviting a newcomer. The new fella is Germán (Gabriel Epstein), a close friend from Fernando’s martial arts class. Germán is quickly welcomed into the group. Fernando doesn’t realize, though, that Germán is attracted to men. Little by little, the two dudes get more intimate and the simmering sexual tension hits a boiling point.

Assembling one of the hottest casts in gay movie history, director Marco Berger (the man behind Absent, Hawaii, Sexual Tension: Volatile) and Farina (Fulboy) have outdone themselves. Thought the romance is undoubtedly of the slow-burn variety, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen.

Taekwondo is available now on Dekkoo. You can watch the trailer below. The films Absent, Hawaii, Sexual Tension: Volatile and Fulboy are also all available now if you find yourself craving more of this directing pair’s sizzling style.