A family is on vacation when the unexpected happens. Yuval is enjoying with his wife and kids when suddenly because of water pressure, he needs help getting out of sand. This is when his ex-lover arrives and saves him. Has he just saved him from bring buried or will he also save him from the suffocation of a pretentious straight married life, when truly is gay and struggling to come to terms with it. Leaving an open ending for viewers to interpret as to what happens, but I really enjoyed the way and sensitivity with which the subject has been handled. I loved this short film. Acting, direction and story were brilliant. This has a potential of making into a full length features film on this subject by extending the story. (8/10)
If you think business decisions are made strictly on the basis of profit and loss, you need to see this short little film. When our hero Cal is looking for a job, he is advised by a friend that everything happens by making contacts. An all male dance hall is the place where everyone goes. The film highlights the politics of the dancehall in the same way as making contacts in the business world. And as what happens in the corporate world, most of us of us dance to the tune that is chosen by those with power. I am amazed to know that this film won an Oscar for best short film in 1987. (7/10)
Finn Page, a 20 years old guy has recently ended his first relationship. However, he’s not dealing with it very well. He resolves that quitting dating is the only option to prevent his heart from breaking again. Now, its up to his friends to convince him that sitting on the sidelines won’t make him happy. And one of those friends may also happen to like him but Finn would have nothing of it. Following arguments, Finn realises that his friends only want the best for him. Shot in Philadelphia, it was like going back into memories for me. (6/10)
Anochecer (Argentina) [Nightfall]
When two guys move in together and the night falls, its time to face the first step of mutual attraction.
Clément, a French actor, goes to Saint Petersburg to participate in a films festival. When he gets there, he realizes he has disappeared: nobody can hear him and see him. He meets Andrei, a Russian gay who lives the same thing. This film was made as a reaction to the censorship of a gay short film in Parisian season’s festival in St. Petersburg. The film denounces the social invisibility who are reduced homosexuals in Russia. The film is marked by urgency and spontaneity in which it was made. Spasibo means ‘Thank You’ in Russian. (6/10)
Felix is a young lonely guy. One day he finds a finds a young man by the beach, unconscious who hardly speaks anything. He takes him home to take care of him, he then realizes he has scales on his back. Is he a mermaid (manman). This guy loves water and feels close to it and happy but Felix now fears that he will go back and may never return again. He goes back between reality and dream, where one moment the merman is with him, whereas, the other moment he is not. Interesting concept but amateur acting and lame direction in my opinion. (4/10)
Calogero - J'ai le droit aussi [I Also Have the Right]
A music video of a teenager’s obsession with his friend and imagining him kissing the boy under various circumstances.
A poignant film about hope and survival. A young man is dying of AIDS and just can’t it any more. He wants to die but of course his mother wouldn’t let. When his estranged father visits, they dwell on the past. Father apologise for disowning him and he didn’t mean. And he was the proudest man, overtime the son would win a race. So, the question is if he didn’t give up throughout his life while racing, why giveup now when its time to die. He needs to fight for it. A sad tale and excellent direction and acting. This again has the potential to be treated as a longer duration film with some background on characters and what happens to the family after he is gone. (6/10)
After splitting from her husband, Roy’s mother takes his car and leaves home with her son Roy but they are struggling to make ends meet with dead end jobs and fleeing out of motels in middle of night. A chance encounter with a man in public toilet makes him realise he might be gay. He then recognises him again as the owner of the caravan park where Roy and his mother have settled in. Roy wants the man but what does the man think of him. Probably a son, who was taken away form him years ago? or something more? When the mother wants to leave, Roy goes back to manager but comes back devastated and rejected just like Roy’s mother was from his father. Great acting and superb story and direction. Could use some production polishing. (7/10)
At the frontier between youth and adulthood, François is in love with Michel. Michel doesn’t seem to care. The arrival of Alice, a capricious young woman, threatens to disturb this strange balance. I am not quite sure of who was the dead body in the morgue and which among the two friends was now dealing with it, but it seems like it was Michel who had now become a doctor. I wish that was a bit clear. But apart from that. I think the film and the story had potential, but I personally did not understand bits and pieces of the film. (6/10)
Alfred is a teenager who gets bullied all the time by Benny and his friends, who beat him up. But when Benny is alone and spends time with Alfred, he is a different lad. The high school bully shares his secrets, his fears and hopes with the unpopular kid. An outlandish bond takes place between them. In high school, Benny keeps ignoring Alfred, but when they're together everything is different. One night, Benny kisses Alfred passionately. Alfred acts surprised but he had been longing for such a moment. When the bullying continues by Benny’s friends, will Benny just be a ute spectator or expose himself before the eyes of the others to save Alfred because the possibility of losing Alfred forever is more than he can bear. (7/10)
A fragmented account of the growing attraction between Celio and Dario; two classmates who are brought together by a series of serendipitous encounters and their own naive curiosity. It is Celio’s girlfriend Sofia, who realises even before the boys that there may be some karmic connection between the two boys who want read the books that the other one is reading and also they both listen to the same music. She is the one to decipher the feelings she knows exists between the two boys. Absolutely brilliant short film. Great directorial debut and brilliant acting. Please please make a full length feature on this keeping the same sensitivity of the characters intact. (9/10)
Alguma Coisa Assim (Brazil) [Something Like That]
Caio and Mari, two teenagers are discovering Sao Paulo' s night. Something unexpected may just occur when Caio would realise he is probably gay and break Maris’s heart. Little did Mari know that her joke up pairing Caio up with a guy would lead to this.
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