Category: Religion

A swimmer’s relationship with his coach causes family problems – and an arranged marriage – in the coming-of-age drama Beyto

Beyto (Burak Ates) is a young man whose family are Turkish immigrants living in Switzerland. A dutiful student and an attractive and popular rising star at his local swimming club, he strives to make them proud, but his family’s stringent views about homosexuality means he has to keep a whole portion of his life and his identity secret.

Just as Beyto begins to discover first love with his coach, Mike (Dimitri Stapfer), his parents get word from friends who spotted him at Gay Pride Parade and become desperate to shut down any rumors that he’s gay.

Shocked and ashamed by Beyto’s budding relationship with another man, his parents lure their son to their home village in Anatolia and start arranging his wedding to Seher (Ecem Aydin), a female friend from his childhood. Suddenly, Beyto finds himself at the center of an unbearable love triangle.

A subtle, sensuous and moving love story, Beyto examines the drama of family tradition and integration, expressing the dilemmas of its characters while never losing sight of their humanity and love for one another.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Aadat

Filmed in Pakistan in a matter-of-fact style, Aadat is a bracing 13-minute short from writer-director Iqran Rasheed.

Aadat tells the story of a deeply closeted young man from a conservative Muslim family. Gripped with unrealized desires, he dares to hire an attractive young sex worker. The two spend time together alone in a room, cautiously getting closer while fully aware of the risks involved.

A devastating film about one perfectly normal young man who is looking to explore his sexuality in a forbidding Islamic country, Aadat is a sobering and heartbreaking reminder of the basic freedoms that are still not afforded to gay men in many parts of the world today.

Watch a short trailer for Aadat below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Unicorn

A new 30-minute short film from Rodrigo Bellott, the writer-director behind the award-winning 2019 drama Tu Me Manques, Unicorn tells a poignant story about religious fundamentalism, homophobia and a romance that helps one character break free.

Doug Porter stars as Isaac, a young man whose family’s strict religious code prohibits them from all modern-day technology. So strict is his pious father that Isaac sometimes finds himself locked away in a cell for even daring to interpret the Bible differently.

When he’s finally freed thanks to intervention from the local police, he finds himself shunned by everyone in his orbit – including his siblings. His work on a dairy farm in the neighboring town brings him into contact with Fernando, played by Eric Robles. An immediate spark is felt between the two, but in Issac’s homophobic and watchful religious community, his sexual awakening will come at a heavy cost.

Inspired by a true story, Unicorn is a gripping film from a talented director at the height of his powers.

Watch a trailer for Unicorn below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day explores the sensual experiences of gay Egyptian men

In Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?, a contemporary queer musical and pseudo-documentary from Egyptian director Mohammad Shawky Hassan, soft speaking voices and a dreamlike soundscape of Egyptian pop music combine to create an almost hallucinatory cinematic experience.

Based on a diary of the filmmaker’s personal love stories, and told in the form of tales from “One Thousand and One Nights,” Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? gives us a glimpse into the sensual experiences of gay Egyptian men.

Telling their stories with humor, tenderness and wit, the power of prose commands attention and allows viewers to be completely swept up in Hassan’s unique vision.

With gorgeous colors, riveting stories, handsome actors and imaginative editing, Shall I Compare You To a Summer’s Day? is a truly unique gay fantasia.

Watch the trailer for Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day? below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Provocative filmmaker Bruce LaBruce returns with the 1970s-set thriller Saint-Narcisse

The latest film from Bruce LaBruce, Canada’s reigning “King of Kink,” Saint-Narcisse follows Dominic (Félix-Antoine Duval), a young man with a fetish… for himself. Nothing turns him on more than his reflection, with much of his time spent taking Polaroid selfies.

When his loving grandmother dies, he discovers a deep family secret: his lesbian mother didn’t die in childbirth and he has a twin brother, Daniel, raised in a remote monastery by a depraved priest, held captive against his will! The power of destiny brings together the two beautiful, identical brothers, who, after being reunited with their mother Beatrice, are soon embroiled in a blasphemous web of sex, revenge and redemption.

Set in the early 1970s and the afterglow of sexual liberation, Saint-Narcisse is a love letter to the psychosexual thrillers of that era. Elegant visuals are combined with LaBruce’s notorious punk provocations in “a wild ride that’s enjoyable in all its B-movie glory while also titillating the intellect” (The Hollywood Reporter).

Watch the trailer for Saint-Narcisse below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Two teens fall in love at a school retreat in the charming romance The Boy Foretold by the Stars

A heartwarming coming-of-age rom-com from the Philippines, The Boy Foretold by the Stars follows an openly gay teen looking for love.

Dominic Cruz (Adrian Lindayag) is an openly gay high school student from St. Francis Catholic School, an exclusive school for boys. He goes to Quiapo with one of his best friends, Timmy (John Leinard Ramos), to consult Baby R (Iyah Mina), a popular fortune teller renowned for her 99.5 percent accurate predictions regarding love.

During this visit, Baby R informs Dominic that he will meet his soul mate within a week, and gives him three signs to help him determine the identity of his match. Meanwhile, Luke Armada (Keann Johnson), a member of St. Francis’ basketball team, has just broken up with his girlfriend Karen (Rissey Reyes) and decides to participate in the “Journey of the Lord” retreat in an attempt to move on.

Dominic, who was coincidentally one of the volunteers for the retreat, is assigned as Luke’s sponsor and the two young men quickly become good friends. As the two get closer, Baby R’s three signs seem to present themselves. Is Dominic reading the signs correctly, or is it just wishful thinking?

One of the first mainstream gay romantic comedies from the Philippines, The Boy Foretold by the Stars was a crowd-pleasing hit locally, earning awards at film festivals. It’s also currently being adapted into a television series.

Watch the trailer for The Boy Foretold by the Stars below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

A conservative professor goes undercover as a gay man in the touching drama At the End of the Day

After losing his wife and counseling practice, the only thing 32-year-old Dave Hopper (Stephen Shane Martin) has going for himself is his part-time professorship at his alma mater, a growing Christian college. And the only reason he even got that job was because his previous professor, now ambitious dean, pulled a few strings.

The dean’s plans for growth hit a snag when the property he wants to develop has been promised to a gay support group – which has plans to open an LGBTQ+ homeless teen shelter if they can raise the money in time.

The Dean is forced to take drastic measures, offering Dave his dream job, but he only gets it if he goes undercover in the group as a gay man – the abomination he counsels against – and stops them from raising the funds needed to buy the property.

Dave reluctantly agrees, and for the first time, is met face-to-face with the community he has been battling his entire career. The awkward and emotional experiences that follow lead Dave on a journey of truth, revealing that life and love are not as black and white as he first thought.

Touching, inspiring and ultimately uplifting, At the End of the Day is a film that treats everyone with compassion and understanding.

Watch the trailer for At the End of the Day below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 7/15/22

When Paulo, a young pianist, meets Ilir, a bass player, they quickly fall in love. The pair soon end up living together, but when Ilir leaves town for a concert and ends up in jail, their relationship faces almost insurmountable obstacles. From prolific writer-director David Lambert, ‘Beyond the Walls’ is a heartbreaking examination of the thrills, sacrifices and disappointments of falling in love. Watch ‘Beyond the Walls’ on Dekkoo!

During a seaside vacation, ten-year-old Remi finds himself becoming increasingly fascinated by Stephane, the father of one of his friends. This confusing new feeling proves quite powerful. Nobody seems to know what Remi is going through…least of all his handsome new crush. ‘The Swimming Trunks’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

A conservative professor at a Christian college goes undercover, passing himself off as a gay man in order to stop the launch of a homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth in his small town. But as he gets closer to the local gay community, he sets out on a journey of truth and compassion, learning that life and love are not as black and white as he once thought. Stream ‘At the End of the Day’ now on Dekkoo!