International Film – Page 70 – Discover great gay stories.

Cinema Spotlight: Bromance

Welcome back to the fall of 1996.

When four friends go on a camping trip in a remote part of Argentina, sexual tensions quickly bubble to the surface. Once in virtual seclusion by the beach, Juli, the only girl of the group, quickly recognizes that the boys seem to have a closer relationship than what she would consider “normal” (it’s only ’96, after all).

The line between friendship and love fade further for two of the boys in particular as their desire becomes too much to bear. When what started as a simple getaway quickly becomes tinged with sex, romance and conflict, everyone is forced to confront who they really are for the very first time.

Starring Javier De Pietro, the scrumptious star of Absent and Sexual Tension: Volatile (both of which are also available on Dekkoo), Bromance uses a clever found-footage aesthetic to deliver a thoughtful and supremely sexy meditation on young, burgeoning gay love.

Bromance is available now on Dekkoo. Watch the trailer below.

New This Week – 2/1/19

Samuel and Wilfredo, two struggling artists in the Philippines, have put everything they have into a new independent film project that they’re hoping will launch their careers. But when the Board of Censors bans their film for having gay themes, they find more even more obstacles along to road to success. ‘Uncensored Dreams’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A young musician named Ansel has an unexpected encounter with Niall, an endearing, deaf dancer. ‘Louder Than Words’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

In what way does communication serve as a form of self-expression, and self-expression a form of communication? ‘Words’ explores how people navigate gender and identity in the open and evolving landscape of New York City.

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Coming next week: A brand new-gay film that is a magical coming-of-age tale.

Cinema Spotlight: Teenage Kicks

The scars of our youth shape the adults we become.

In the riveting Australian drama Teenage Kicks, angst-ridden seventeen-year-old Miklos (Miles Szanto) makes plans to escape his migrant family and run away with his best friend and secret crush Dan (cutie-pie Daniel Webber, hot off his star-making turn as Lee Harvey Oswald in the miniseries “11.22.63” and his regular role on “The Punisher”).

Miklos’s dreams are dashed after the accidental death of his older brother Tomi (Nadim Kobeissi). Only he knows the events that led to this tragedy. Suddenly, he is forced to navigate his guilt, as well as his explosive sexuality, in order to find the man he will become.

Written and directed by Craig Boreham, who recently made MTV’s list of “hot filmmakers to watch,” Teenage Kicks is a smart and sexy drama that has earned rave reviews around the globe. Empire magazine labeled it “a debut not to be missed.”

Teenage Kicks is now available on Dekkoo.

One Great Gay Shot – ‘Seeds’ (2017)

The mesmerizing coming-of-age film ‘Seeds’ arrives exclusively on Dekkoo next week!

Take a trip back to 1992

The new 25-minute short film 1992 follows Martin (Louis Duneton), a seventeen-year-old student who and spends the majority of his time behind a video camera, recording everything everything that catches his eye. One day, he meets an older man named Dominique (Matthieu Dessertine), who works as a watchman at his school. After their first encounter, Martin seems to only have eyes for his new crush.

Examining infatuations, the frustrations of adolescence, father-son conflict, first-time sexual experiences and the way being a gay teen has changed from the early ’90s to now, director Anthony Doncque’s period piece 1992 is provocative and brutally honesty. The film depicts a warts-and-all sex scene between a teen and a twenty-something that should ring familiar to any or us who came of age pre-internet.

Louis Duneton and Matthieu Dessertine give committed, completely fearless performances and Doncque stands out as a talented director worth keeping an eye on.

You can watch 1992 now on Dekkoo. Just be warned: the film features scenes of graphic sexuality. Viewer discretion is advised.

Spend 4 Days in France

Writer/director Jérôme Reybaud’s remarkably accomplished feature debut 4 Days in France is a sly and sophisticated take on gay romance in the 21st century.

On a seemingly ordinary night in Paris, Pierre (Pascal Cervo) takes one last look his lover Paul’s sleeping body, then steals away into the early morning light. Where he’s headed, neither of them know. Pierre’s only guide is his Grindr app, which leads him on a series of encounters with an indelible cast of characters across the French countryside. Upon realizing that his lover is gone, Paul (Arthur Igual) sets out after him, using his own phone to track Pierre’s movements in a strange and wonderful game of Grindr cat-and-mouse.

4 Days in France earned ecstatic reviews from critics when it was released in a limited theatrical run last year. Slant Magazine called it “A kind of ode to cruising writ large,” and said “There’s something endearing, if not uncanny, about the way the film evokes universal truths about erotic wandering.”

Watch the trailer for 4 Days in France below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 1/11/19

On a seemingly ordinary night in Paris, Pierre takes one last look his lover Paul’sing body, then steals away into the early morning light. Where he’s headed, neither of them know. Pierre’s only guide is his Grindr app, which leads him on a series of encounters with an indelible cast of characters across the French countryside. ‘4 Days In France’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

After a rough confrontation with his cheating ex-boyfriend, Jim comes to think that he’ll never find the love life he’s looking for – especially not through dating apps. Just when he’s ready to throw it all away, he has a chance encounter that gives him a new perspective on romance and life itself. Check out the gay short film ‘Ultra Bleu’ now on Dekkoo!

In this experimental film, a young documentarian works on a school project about gay sex and romance, going back to the 1950s. He interviews two seniors about their past experiences, as told through flashbacks to the past. ‘Sex & Water’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Dekkoo’s new original series, ‘OUT On Stage’!

Now Available: Fathers

Fathers follows Phoon and Luke, a loving gay couple in a long-term relationship who have adopted a young son named Butr. Unfortunately, due to the lack of legislation for same-sex marriages in Thailand, only Phoon is allowed to be listed as the child’s father on paper. The family is very happy, but the fathers decide not to explain the situation to their son – a decision that creates many problems when Butr is old enough to attend elementary school.

Facing bullying from other students and their parents, Phoon and Yuke find themselves having to deal with a number of very hard decisions. And if that isn’t enough, a social worker of the Children’s Rights Protection Organization gets involved, questioning the idea of Butr growing up in a family without a feminine presence, and even tracks down his actual mother, who wishes to be a part of his life now.

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

Phoon and Luke, a loving gay couple in a long-term relationship, have adopted a young son named Butr. Unfortunately, due to Thailand’s laws, only Phoon can be listed as the father on paper. Their situation gets even harder once Butr starts elementary school and other outside pressures interfere with their peaceful family life. ‘Fathers’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Billy and Shelley are best friends, but their friendship is greatly tested when Shelley’s boyfriend, Adam, secretly comes out to Billy – the only other gay man he knows. The gay short film ‘What About Shelley’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Welcome to BoysTown! A modern gay episodic drama about friendship, sex and relationships exploring the everyday lives of 8 friends and lovers. Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to binge-watch on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week:“A kind of ode to cruising writ large… There’s something endearing, if not uncanny, about the way the film evokes universal truths about erotic wandering through the extremly specific figure of the French gay man” – Slant

New This Week – 12/29/18

With their relationship on the brink of collapse, two men decide to leave the big city behind for a glorious beach vacation – where they feel free to expose their deepest secrets and desires. Their love may not survive the trip, but at least they can end things in paradise. Sanuye Shoteka and Hermes Pittakos bare it all in this emotional drama, based on their real-life relationship. ‘He Loves Me’ is available to stream exclusively on Dekkoo!

He would do anything to be touched by his former lover once more. ‘Ecstasy’ is an exploration of the coalescence of love and violence.

When a struggling writer, HIV positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy meds on his own? ‘Pushing Dead’ is available now to stream on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: ‘Love’ starts with two people, but ‘Family’ is more than just the two.