Category: Religion

Gay guardian angels Joey and T.J. return in the short film sequel ‘(Un)Free Will 2: The Confession’

Writer-director Robby Kendall returns to Dekkoo with an unexpected follow-up to his short 2024 afterlife comedy (Un)Free Will.

Lead actors Derek DeVault and Brent Roberts reprise their roles as bickering former lovers and full-time angels Joey and T.J.

In (Un)Free Will 2: The Confession they’re tasked by God herself with eliciting a confession from a brokenhearted young man named Ben. Grieving over the recent loss of his mother and racked with guilt after making a promise he was unable to keep, Ben turns to the church.

With a little help from a compassionate priest, a trio of guardian angels, a few divine interventions and an adorable puppy named Darcy, he’s finally able to unburden himself and find the solace he so desperately needs.

Prepare to have your spirits lifted with this warmhearted 15-minute comedy – and be sure to watch the first installment, also on Dekkoo, in what is shaping up to become a “heavenly” on-going series.

Watch the trailer for (Un)Free Will 2: The Confession below. The short film is now available.

‘20,000 Species of Bees’ tells a heart-wrenching story about gender, sexuality and identity

In a small, sleepy village in the Basque Country, a sculptor named Ane and her three children arrive at her mother Lita’s home for summer vacation. Lita disapproves of her daughter’s frayed marriage, career as an artist and the way she parents her obstinate and mischievous children.

Chief among them is eight-year-old Aitor, nicknamed Coco, after it becomes clear that being referred to by the name Aitor elicits feelings of distress in the child. Born biologically male, neither birth name nor the genderless nickname feel quite right, and Ane’s concern for her child grows as Coco becomes more withdrawn.

The child’s only respite lies in the Basque hills, where Ane’s aunt Lourdes tends to the family’s beekeeping farm. Among the peaceful humming of bees and Lourdes’ open-minded guardianship, Coco slowly begins to confide in family and friends her discomfort in her body, eventually voicing a desire to be treated as a girl.

As Coco explores her own developing identity over the summer, Ane and the rest of her family in turn must learn to accept the child as she is.

From Basque director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, this assured debut feature is a wonderfully sensitive work carried by the Berlinale Silver Bear-winning lead performance of newcomer Sofía Otero.

An authentic and heart-wrenching story of transition, 20,000 Species of Bees is a landmark in the cinematic discussion of gender, sexuality and identity.

Watch the trailer for 20,000 Species of Bees below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Love’s Green Patch

Set over a few days during a particularly hot summer, Love’s Green Patch, a 15-minute student film from India, follows best friends Raja and Deva. The pair are so close to one another that they often find themselves sharing a twin bed.

Though their relationship is entirely platonic, they still catch some misunderstanding glances from their fellow housemates.

After rejecting the advances of a local girl, Raja finally feels comfortable enough to come out to his best friend. Though he’s initially supportive, Deva starts to worry what other people will think about their affection for one another.

Breaking away one night, he does some soul searching and realizes that it’s time to make some tough decisions. Most importantly: what color should they paint their room?

Packed with an equal amount of heart and sexual tension, Love’s Green Patch shows that true friendship can weather any storm.

Watch the trailer for Love’s Green Patch below. The short film is now available on Dekkoo.

Director Ray Yeung’s critically acclaimed ‘Twilight’s Kiss’ is now available on Dekkoo

From Ray Yeung, the accomplished filmmaker behind Front Cover, Cut Sleeve Boys and All Shall Be Well, Twilight’s Kiss tells a gut-wrenching tale of forbidden love between two married men in their golden years.

The film follows Pak (Tai Bo), a Hong Kong cab driver on the verge of hanging up his keys, and Hoi (Ben Yuen), a divorced retiree. The pair find themselves drawn into a secret affair, stealing moments of intimacy in the steam-shrouded sanctuary of the local gay bathhouse.

In a society where same-sex love is still very much taboo, the two men have to keep their trysts on the down-low. But when genuine feelings start to bubble up, their carefully compartmentalized lives threaten to boil over. As the Pak and Hoi navigate an increasingly intimate relationship, they begin to wonder whether they’ve aged out of the possibility of happily-ever-after.

Yeung, who crafted the screenplay from real-life stories, shines a light on the isolation and heartache faced by those who dare to love outside the lines, delivering a powerful and unforgettable portrait of a love that refuses to be denied.

Profoundly moving, Twilight’s Kiss is the kind of film that stays with you long after the end credits roll.

Watch the trailer for Twilight’s Kiss below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Under the Crescent Moon

From the outset of Under the Crescent Moon, it’s clear that there is something going on between high school besties Abdul and Jerryl.

Constantly flirting and finding excuses to playfully touch one another, the two young men are inching ever closer to finally admitting their true feelings.

The problem lies in the societal and religious expectations that surround them. Abdul, who comes from a conservative Muslim family, feels deeply that his love for Jerryl is a direct affront to Allah – and his strict father, who has taken ominous notice of the boys’ affection, would likely agree.

An emotional 15-minute short film from the Philippines, Under the Crescent Moon tells a tender and ultimately heartbreaking coming-of-age story about young love.

Watch a quick trailer for Under the Crescent Moon below. The short film is now available on Dekkoo.

‘Small Town Gay Bar’ director Malcolm Ingram heads back down South for ‘Southern Pride’

Director Malcolm Ingram first explored Mississippi gay bars on film with his award-winning 2006 documentary Small Town Gay Bar. In 2017, after the first election of Donald Trump emboldened anti-LGBTQ hatred in the region, he returned for the moving follow-up Southern Pride.

Following Lynn and Shawn, two different bar owners in Biloxi and Hattiesburg, the film shows what it takes to fight for equality while trying to keep the bills paid and the drinks flowing.

The film’s subjects decide to hold each of their respective cities’ first official Pride celebrations as a rebuke to the Trump administration. They’re soon faced with homophobia, racism, and fundraising fiascos. But the power of community should never be underestimated – and when everyone comes together to make things happen, they manage to show the rest of the state what Southern Pride truly means.

Watch the trailer for Southern Pride below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: (Il)legal Asterisk

Are we defined by how we see ourselves or how we’re perceived by the outside world?

An experimental, uniquely philosophical short from director Fabrizio Bancale, the 20-minute film (Il)legal Asterisk (originally titled Asterisco (Il)legale) employs three Italian actors (Bruno Petrosino, Orazio Rotolo Schifone and Mauro Toscanelli) to examine that very question.

Pulling from stories both personal and historical, the film playfully jumps around, introducing different settings and characters whose inherent queerness – and their ability to express themselves – has been either discouraged or outright destroyed by societal forces beyond their control.

Handling heavy topics with a light, charismatic touch, the film explores how expressing oneself, coming out and/or living life according to one’s own choices can cost dearly when the law of the land does not offers adequate protection.

With the fight for true freedom being far from over, (Il)legal Asterisk investigates our shared past while shedding a light on our present.

Watch the trailer for (Il)legal Asterisk below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A gay artist tries turning tragedy into opportunity in the moving Polish drama ‘All Our Fears’

Triggered by an unexpected tragedy, a religious artist and gay activist tries to get his local community to grieve together in the emotional drama All Our Fears.

Dawid Ogrodnik stars in the film as Daniel, a well-respected young artist from the Polish countryside who finds himself torn between small-town values, urban art galleries, the Catholic church, and his gay identity.

When a queer friend commits suicide after suffering a homophobic attack, he becomes determined to redeem his community with the ultimate work of art – a deeply personal interpretation of ‘The Stations of the Cross.’

All the while, he’s slowly, carefully, and secretly building a relationship with Olek (Oskar Rybaczek), a younger local lover who is not yet ready to embrace his sexual identity.

Based on real events, All Our Fears tells the moving story of one brave man, raised in the countryside and engaged in the activities of the Catholic Church, who attempts to peacefully merge the important aspects of his life while refusing to accept hate and intolerance.

Watch the trailer for All Our Fears below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A religious man faces intense urges in the acclaimed Polish drama ‘In the Name of’

Released to great acclaim in 2013, In the Name of is a powerful, sensitive and complex religious drama about a lonely, but devout Polish priest who is struggling with his sexuality.

The story follows Father Adam (Andrzej Chyra), an attractive man who joined the priesthood at a young age – mainly in an effort to outrun his desires. Having been transferred from Warsaw to the countryside, he is tasked with running a home for troubled boys.

Initially, Father Adam commands great respect as he supervises the boys in work, study and sport. His sexual urges are ignited, however, when the young wife of one of his assistants makes an unsuccessful pass. Though he’s not interested in women, there is one youth in particular that has caught his eye: the strangely quiet, long-haired Lukasz (Mateusz Kosciukiewicz).

His faith and commitment to celibacy prevents him from acting on his urges until a playful game in a wheat field with ignites his passion and compels him to act on his physical desires. When rumors begin to spread about his sexuality, his future at the school and his relationship with Lukasz are threatened.

Winner of the coveted Teddy Award at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, In the Name of is an impassioned, eloquent and, at times, humorous queer melodrama from director Malgorzata Szumowska about a man of faith consumed with forbidden love and longing.

Watch the trailer for In the Name of below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.