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ariel alba
The film stars Paolo Rivero, an actor who plays Raymond, and who has participated in numerous LGBT+ themed films such as 'Daybreak' (2008), 'Kabayo' (2023), 'Share' (Salo, 2012 ), 'Indie Boys' (2010), 'Brothers in Law' ('Bayaw', 2009), 'Heavenly Touch' (2009), and many others.
For his part, Ray An Dulay, who plays Bien, has extensive experience in homosexual films. The viewer remembers him for his participation in 'Kambyo' (2008), 'Moreno' (2007), 'The Game of Juan's Life' (2009), 'Ben & Sam' (2010), 'Tale of the Lost Boys' ( 2017), 'Antonio's Secret' (2008), 'The Man in the Lighthouse' (2007), among others.
With a script by Lex Bonife ('Adonis X', 'The Escort', 'Laruang Lalake', 'The Game of Juan's Life'), the story revolves around Raymund Fabillar, a graphic artist whose main concern in life is having promiscuous sex, enjoying strictly casual encounters, visiting as many gay venues as there are, participating in many orgies and chatting online with potential occasional lovers.
However, Raymund's life will be turned upside down due to two key events. One of them involves his nephew, Zack (Renz Valerio), who has to stay with Raymund because his mother must travel to Hong Kong to meet her new boyfriend. The other is Bien (Ray An Dulay), a young man whom Raymund finds at an orgy and with whom he begins to feel a connection.
Over time, Raymund makes progress on both fronts. While Zack and his Uncle Emon, as Raymund likes to call him, continue to bond and build a better family relationship, Raymund and Bien also grow closer and will soon agree to be boyfriend and girlfriend. With them, they establish a series of rules that include the need to be perfectly honest about the status of their relationship with everyone around them and, of course, the need to be faithful to each other through a monogamous relationship. So soon we will see the two men living with the child under the same roof, as if it were a happy family.
However, as the days pass, cracks appear in the fragile love relationship, as Raymund finds it difficult to completely abandon old habits.
And although there are many gay sex scenes, they suffer from being artistic, beautifully executed gay sex. It feels even stranger given that the orgies Raymund attends seem to include an orgy coordinator who acts for the purpose of facilitating role-playing games to break the ice between participants.
And yes, although there are many gay sex scenes, both the orgies and the intimate scenes of the protagonist couple are marked by cheesy moments, silly and shady scenes and gay sexual positions that hardly happen unless you constantly hide your genitals from the camera.
This is one of the problems with a film that aims to include so many sex scenes, whether gay or not. Maybe if the director decided to tone down the hammy sex scenes a little more, if the two lovers' interactions weren't so overacted or exaggerated, we could have better character development to explain why these two guys are suddenly so good for each other.
Because no one can doubt it: the relationship between Raymund and Bien is, at best, superficial and empty, and the possible problems they experience are as tropes as they are cheesy. It is very weak how the topic is treated that Raymund liked the boy enough to bring him home, and without further ado they are destined to be boyfriends.
Then we have Zack and his role in the development of the story. There were satisfying moments when the boy would enter the scene with the typical questions that all children can ask themselves, but then his curiosity could only function in the service of the plot, which made his character seem a little inconsistent. However, in my opinion, his role as the cute, precocious boy is probably the best performance in the film.
The actors playing Raymund and Bien were struggling with their predominantly English lines and so it seemed like their words were clearly not their own. And that just took away from the drama and made their arguments even more petty.
The film draws on the ending of a semi-classic independent film of the uncertain future. There is enough hope for things to move forward, but at the same time, how can we support such superficial characters? Is there enough character development to make us want to become emotionally invested in their conflicts? Would our involvement be motivated to see the characters grow or to enjoy the sex scenes as a form of comic relief?
Well, ultimately, 'Little Boy Big Boy' wants to be a great piece about a gay man's journey to grow emotionally and better understand relationships. But in the end, it's really just a bad plot designed to string together some pretty unimaginative queer sex scenes.
Given the poster image, I was hoping that the element of a boy in the story would make it a more sensible film compared to most Filipino films of the same theme from the time of its release. However, it did not surpass this illusory vision, as the creators were more interested in depictions of bad gay sex scenes, so it was on par with other films that attempted to be much less pretentious about their overall objectives.
The participation of important production companies such as Viva Digital, Beyond the Box, the music of Richard Gonzales and his team, or the photography and set design of Arvin Viola, cannot save a film that, if it had something to say, never managed to express itself efficiently or effective. The end result is a film that attempted to juggle two main plot ideas, but never knew how to marry them or even balance its thematic axes to any degree.
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This union is so powerful that the actor ends up becoming a "fetish" for the director, a blind belief in his talent, necessary perhaps so that his films turn out as the director expects, or because said actor knows and understands the perfection his vision; making their films develop as fluidly as possible, because the chemistry between the two is so natural that the final result is unique.
One of these artistic partnerships between actor and director has as protagonists the Filipino performers Ace Toledo and JM Martinez and the filmmaker Tim Muñoz, who apparently finds it almost impossible not to have these two actors in his film productions.
Being openly homosexual, most of his themes are gay in nature, having the filmmakers Marco Berger, from Argentina, and the Mexican Julián Hernández as his new idols.
In 'Estranghero', from 2016, Tim Muñoz's first film after filming some short films, he addresses a recurring problem in his work, an obsession, you could very well call it: heterosexual boys experimenting with gay sex. 'Estranghero' also marked the first foray of both actors into the seventh art.
In 'Lodi', from 2017, the director and screenwriter of the largest television network in the Philippines, ABS-CBN, for about 15 years, before settling in the United States, returns his fetish actors to the big screen. The protagonist, named Franco (JM Martinez), a sex worker with a beautiful body, is criminally obsessed with Brent (Ace Toled), a heterosexual boy, and will not hesitate to commit the most violent crimes to fulfill his erotic fantasies.
Accustomed to immersing himself in every detail of the production, from the script to the direction, from the camera work to the editing, Tim Muñoz builds in 'Hombre' (2018), the cinematographic anthology extracted from the Pinoy blog M2M Erotica, a drama of LGBT+ theme, Maduro and Ómnibus, with explicit sex, extreme sexual content and nudity that revolves around his recurring obsession and also features the prominence of his fetish actors.
Each of the stories that make up the film raises the question: what would a heterosexual man do in a gay situation?
Also known by the title 'When heterosexuals become homosexuals', 'Man' tells five stories that try to answer the previous question.
"Hombre" is a Spanish word for the English word "Man." And yes, we get plenty of them in this sexy and delicious gay erotic movie from the Philippines.
The main of the five film stories that make up the film and to which the rest of the stories are integrated is titled 'Blog', and stars Ace Toledo and JM Martinez, who play Bonnie and Cholo, respectively.
In 'Blog', a heterosexual man, Cholo, discovers that Bonnie, his cousin and blogger, who lives under his same roof, has fallen in love with him and fills the pages of a blog with his erotic dreams in which the two are protagonists. What will the straight boy do once he has discovered his cousin's secret?
'Good Boy' is the name of the second story. Starring Mark Roca as JV and VJ Gomez as Hiro, it revolves around a man whose vehicle breaks down late at night in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood. So he gladly accepts a kind stranger's offer to spend the night in his cramped room. Only to realize that she had already met her handsome host earlier that day.
Meanwhile, 'Batang Bilog' (English title 'The Boy for Circle') tells the story of a handsome gym instructor in deep debt who recently lost his job. When the debt collector knocks on your door, you have to figure out how to get out of this difficult situation. Especially when the attractive visitor is clearly irritated and has had enough excuses. This story features Jerson Bugarin as Dennis and Ordy Yu as Rockie.
'Turuan Mo Ako' (English title 'Teach Me'), starring Ron Canda as Benji and Mico Madrid as Ryan, takes us to the story of a young student who received an unusual gift from his girlfriend: a dildo. Now you are experiencing the joy of using it, but you are too embarrassed to tell anyone. One day, his brother-in-law discovers his little secret. How will you explain this?
Finally, 'Bayad Utang' (English title 'Payback') introduces us to a heterosexual renter who, in the middle of a night of bad luck, is pleasantly surprised when he receives a visit from a former colleague. His mentor in the flesh trade is now a successful businessman with a wife and children of his own. But what is he doing in his seedy place for sexual encounters between gay boys? This story stars Jerom Umali as Obed and Carlo Mendoza as Galo.
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Some veteran directors presenting their works at the Malaya Independent Film Festival, the Philippines' biggest film event, had their roots deep in mainstream cinema, and it turns out that bad (mainstream) habits die hard.
For that reason, the history of cinema of that nation ultimately produced some of the most inferior, self-oppressive and tasteless works, digging a deeper margin for the members of that human community and misleading the public about what their defenses really were in the face of a conservative, heteronormative and discriminatory society.
However, this sad cycle of Philippine filmography changed when director Joselito "Jay" Altarejos made 'Kasal' in 2014, and that year it won the Best Feature Film, Best Music and Best Cinematography Awards at the 10th Cinemalaya Festival, even surpassing the most requested 'Hustisya'.
The feature film immediately attracted the attention of the public and specialized critics, both local and international, as 'Kasal' broke with a previous scheme, planted deep within filmmakers interested only in their profits, by bringing a more realistic and identifiable representation of relationships between people of the same sex.
The film talks about how homosexual couples are situated in a society in which they are prohibited from marriage even though they may have a lifelong commitment.
I am not offering a spoiler here, since Altarejo took it upon himself to talk in every possible way about the content and premise of his film.
Paolo (Oliver Aquino), a film, commercial and video director, encourages his boyfriend Sherwin (Arnold Reyes), a renowned professional lawyer, both breadwinners for their respective families, to hold a wedding ceremony, but Sherwin refuses to accept Paolo's proposal because he knows that the marriage law in the Philippines is only for male and female couples and, as a law graduate, he must respect the law.
In the film, Sherwin, who values the tradition in which he was raised since childhood, and Paolo, who has a more open family that is aware of his homosexuality, attend the wedding of Sherwin's younger sister in Batangas.
Sherwin wanting not to disappoint her parents, conservative and very devout of the Christian faith, if she admitted to them and the rest of her family about her relationship with a man, she prefers to hide her romantic relationship.
The filmmaker, recognized with several prestigious awards both in the Philippines and internationally for his innovative openly gay-themed films such as 'The Man in the Lighthouse', 'Antonio's Secret', 'Kambyo', 'The Game of Juan's Life', ' Pink Halo-Halo', 'Tale of the Lost Boys' and 'Unfriend', among others, films a feature film that explores secret issues surrounding the cries for equality of LGBT+ people in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world.
In this sense, 'Kasal' defends homosexual marriage and equality before the law on marriage between people of the same sex. But even maybe not just equality before the law but also proper understanding of the LGBT community.
In the face of discrimination, the film shows that human beings need an open-minded environment that does not degrade them as people and allows them to live equally and freely with the gender they prefer to embrace.
Even though homosexuals represent a group largely treated as a minority, the film is incredibly inclusive. It portrays the problems that lack of communication can cause in relationships (homosexual or not) and even touches on family conflicts.
'Kasal' is neither an all-out feast of flesh, nor a series of intolerable acts, but a presentation of silent oppression. It carefully presents a strong argument as to why the LGBT+ community in the Philippines and beyond continues to fight today, 10 years after its release, for the basic right to marriage equality.
The performances of its two protagonists stand out. Arnold Cruz Reyes and Oliver Aquino give strong performances of two lovers who are trapped in a circumstance from which they cannot escape. The chemistry between the leads is so genuine that you know the film is not just about gender. It is truly and simply about two people in love, struggling with the universal difficulties of love.
The film excels at offering audiences an intimate, rarely seen glimpse into the life together of two gay men, complete with the mundanity, incredibly detailed sex, and emotional nuances of almost every other romantic relationship.
The script written by Zig Madamba Dulay and Altarejos himself, not only delves into the complexities and challenges of being gay in a conservative society, but also delves into the struggles within a romantic relationship. Instead of distinguishing the unique difficulties of same-sex relationships, the film focuses on what makes them equal to others.
'The Commitment', as it is also known, stands out as a truly independent film, in terms of treatment. It seems like a relatively small production. Many of the scenes appear to be filmed in convenient locations, mostly indoors.
The tight cinematography takes us right into the characters' comfort zones, showing us what they are like at home, at work, with friends and with family. And with the explicit, prolonged, continuous, uncut softcore scene lasting probably at least 5 minutes, 'Kasal' is as intimate as it gets. But at the same time it raises a theme that has been present in world cinema for decades, while successfully describing how cultural and religious oppressions provoke the personal and emotional struggles of queer people.
In this very honest film, I am captured by two parallel scenes filmed behind a window, and in which I am suddenly relegated to the role of an outsider.
I am referring to the opening scene taken from the balcony of the condominium showing the interior of the room occupied by the two protagonists, and the scene with the lovers engaged in a heartbreaking fight on an empty street. In the latter, we can see the couple, but not hear them – as it is filmed from inside the car. These two scenes noticeably mark a distance between the characters and the camera.
But the most interesting thing, in my opinion, is that at the same time, from this distance, we can see the gap between the two lovers, no matter how intertwined they are. It is no longer the faces of the actors that speak to us, but the space of uncertainty that surrounds them and that threatens to open a gap between the two souls that painfully cling to each other.
These two scenes alone would be enough to demonstrate the professionalism in their craft, the natural and convincing acting skills of the lead actors, and the ordinariness of the settings make the film easy to identify with. The conversations also seem spontaneous. As in real life, it is in the slight changes in tone and sudden moments of silence that we see how easily we tend to sweep things under the rug and, at the same time, how difficult it is for us to forget.
The script and story are strong enough for the audience to empathize with the characters' feelings.
In short, 'Kasal' stands out for its technical aspects. The camera angles focus on the actors' expressions. The lighting is perfect in all locations and manages to highlight the necessary lights and shadows in each scenario.
The elements used in the staging are organically well prepared, especially when they filmed in the province. Meanwhile, the costumes and set design blend well, particularly with the traditional wedding celebration in Batangas.
The music by Richard Gonzalez and the sad and heartbreaking love song "Ikaw at Ako", by Johnoy Danao, fit perfectly with the emotion of the characters and the atmosphere of the dramatic part.
Inside my chest I felt Paolo's pain when his boyfriend Sherwin introduced him as his best friend. My heart was torn when I saw the ring that Paolo bought for the wedding with his lover thrown into the trash. This image symbolizes that the marriage between them will never take place.
But I also have mixed feelings, as I try to balance Paolo's position with Sherwin's situation, who is torn between his love for Paolo, his dedication to work, upholding the law, and his family's views on marriage. In this sense, it is also difficult for me to determine which one I should prioritize because both characters touch my soul deeply.
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The cause of this internal collapse would be that in the most intense love, people put themselves in the hands of the other, and we reach the maximum degree of vulnerability: That is why nothing harms us as much as their contempt or rejection.
It is then that the temptation of revenge comes out of its hiding place and enters an unexpected orbit. At this moment, the first tremor of love transforms into a tremor of contradictory emotions and fertile territory for a creator.
The first image, in black and white, of 'Unfriend', is that of two male teenagers in a perfect state of romantic happiness. They are on top of an abandoned building, and their nostalgic looks and gestures ensure that they are the happiest lovers in the universe. It's Christmas Eve.
However, the initial image is far from reality. Filipino filmmaker Joselito "Jay" Altarejos deliberately follows the same two boys having sex in a small, dirty, dimly lit room where demons and other video game monsters seem to wink at the lovers from the walls. Everything plays with reality. The room is above an Internet cafe.
We will never again see the serenity, sincerity and euphoria of the film's opening dream sequence, as these have been replaced by the sweaty and unfunny date between two young men about to end their relationship.
After the night of breakup sex, David (Sandino Martín, 'Lonely Connections', 2023; 'Esprit De Corps', 2014), the youngest of the teenagers, aged 15, returns home smiling to his grandmother (Boots Anson -Roa), a kind but simple woman immersed in her Catholic faith.
Although grandmother and grandson can sing and dance karaoke songs together and share tender moments, the generation gap is enormous. On the other hand, David's parents work abroad, which aggravates his loneliness. Only once does social media become a benign force in the film, as it allows David to Skype with his mother.
Once David discovers through social media that 17-year-old Jonathan (Angelo Ilagan, 'Alimuom ng kahapon, 2015) has sought another lover, he locks himself in his room, where he keeps a shrine dedicated to his ex-boyfriend, and during the following hours, he begins an attempt to recover it through social networks. It monitors your steps, follows you from a distance, sends signals with red hearts and reacts with "Likes" to your posts. After all, David is today's typical awkward teenager who is better able to express his feelings through knee-jerk reactions on his digital profiles than through a real interpersonal connection.
When his affections are unrequited, he makes one last effort to reconcile as a sinister backup plan solidifies in his mind. The mission he embarks on matures with every step, as he distances himself from reality and wanders among the crowds and chaos of Manila. David needs to broadcast live to the world the love his ex-lover just wasted.
And I'm not spoiling this, as Altarejos publicly acknowledges before its release that his film is based on the 2011 shooting in a Philippine shopping mall of two young lovers, whose amateur images later appeared online and went viral.
My heart is squeezed by the image of David, alienated from reality, as he buys credits to resume the online harassment of his ex-boyfriend, and does not notice the homophobic insults his neighbors throw at him. When you temporarily come out of the spell and respond to grievances, you become aware of your surroundings. At that moment, David stops wallowing in himself and becomes a witness to problems that seem bigger than his own.
Recognized with several prestigious awards both in the Philippines and internationally for his groundbreaking openly gay-themed films such as 'The Man in the Lighthouse', 'Antonio's Secret', 'Kambyo', 'The Game of Juan's Life', 'Pink Halo- Halo', 'The Commitment' and 'Tale of the Lost Boys', among others, in 'Unfriend', Altarejos reflects the sadness of a child, while telling a passionate story of a gay teenager who searches for a lover who has become indifferent to his love, at the same time it intends to be a film with a message.
In this sense, it works as a social commentary, giving us an idea of the new generations' inclination towards social networks, as well as showing the dangers that unfiltered information available online can represent for teenagers.
The love story in 'Unfriend' is a cry of sadness. The film, on the other hand, is also a powerful observation of obsession. As soon as Altarejos retracts the unabashed romanticism of the opening scenes, he proceeds to detail the less endearing qualities of the specific homosexual relationship defined by the virtual world in which it exists.
Furthermore, David, with his constant and rapid shift between aching lover and sex-starved animal, exemplifies the youth that has been conditioned to trivialize emotions. This is how the film has an impact precisely because its shameless portrayal of current attitudes and behaviors are too close to reality to be comforting. Infused with love and all other demons, there is no predicting what kind of monsters we can all become.
The film reminds us that in the story of love pain is hidden for a thousand and one reasons whose consequences do not respond to reasons. And the ways of expressing that hurt and regret are unexpected. It is love-heartbreak-resentment in an explosion that can spin like a top in the deceived, disdained person.
In this way, Zig Madamba Dulay's script portrays the anguish and obsession of a 15-year-old gay boy with social networks, and creates a fascinating story of how the Internet can bring fragile minds into a dangerous world.
The filmmaker himself expressed in an interview with Reuters: "I was interested in showing people how social networks have changed the way we live our lives, how we have become artists and how social networks have also turned us into voyeurs and exhibitionists. ".
'Unfriend' vividly portrays life in the Philippines, where poverty forces millions to work abroad, and mobile phones and WiFi make social media ubiquitous, after teenagers buy small amounts of phone credit in the street stalls to bury yourself in the dilapidated booths of the cibercafes.
Premiered in the Panorama Section of the 2014 Berlinale, the film quickly attracted the attention of local and international media for highlighting the "dangerous power of social networks."
Arvin Viola's photography is full of beautiful intimate images that leave one more sad than excited. However, what makes the film appealing is that it is more interested in intimacy than sensuality. Deep down, it brought up mixed feelings. On the one hand, he secretly wanted David and Jonathan to get back together, but at the same time, he wanted to see the magnitude of the pain David can endure.
I'm struck by the liberal use of the shaky handheld camera in natural lighting. Many viewers will find this way of filming strange, but here it is used effectively to give it a grittier, dirtier texture, very appropriate for what the film reflects.
'Unfriend' is not a perfect film, but what it lacks in technical perfection and surprises it makes up for in the setting: a sensation of the gradual breaking of a dam of anger, the growing temptation to break the silence in the face of the pain of heartbreak, the disloyalty, disappointment or infidelity of the loved one and their tumultuous experience.
With each sequence, Altarejos' film clings to my throat until it leaves me breathless. I couldn't get it out of my mind that extraordinary events can happen on any bright sunny day. And so I held onto the couch, to follow the controlled anguish of the actor who brings David to life, seen in various forms as he goes through the various stages of grief.
I can hardly erase Jonathan and David's last meeting from my head, seeing how his voice and hands tremble, and he almost chokes with the sobs he tries to suppress, but his body gives him away as he chews his straw and blows bubbles in his mouth your tea.
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In the review I will refer to the story of the two boys who, in my opinion, are heterosexual and discover, in the rain, their same-sex attraction.
Directed by Kim Seon-hyung and script by Kim Eun Hye, this story tells the chance meeting of young people Ji Min (Yoo Kyung Seon) and Soo Huyn (Go Hyoung Woo) on the stairs of the first floor of a residential building. They both seek shelter from the sudden rain.
The beautiful photography by Jo Yoon-ju and Choi Ji-won captures the moment when a simple attitude changes everything. When the boy in white asks the other if he wanted to kiss him because he was staring at him insistently, the other could have simply said "no", but he did what most of us would like to do, he said what he wanted and that It generated destabilization and indescribable emotions.
The response gave the other the courage to be more incisive and realize that they both really wanted to kiss. Then, the one in white finally found the courage to express what he wanted and the two kissed.
To reach the climax, the short film captures eye contact, not being able to avoid looking at each other, the looks that one gives and the other returns, the increasing attention that one pays to the other. All this reflects that there is chemistry.
Jo Yoon-jeong's sound captures the falling rain, the nervous and labored breathing of the protagonists. I can almost guarantee that I hear the rapid beating of their hearts.
Seonhyeong Kim's editing is beautiful.
The viewer can quickly recognize that there is mutual interest, a manifest and growing attraction between the two through non-verbal language, that is, communication that reveals gestures, glances and body movements, among others.
As some would say, "the eyes are the window to the soul." Sometimes our gaze can unconsciously reveal our feelings. Therefore, when you want to find out if two people are attracted to each other, the first place to look is their eyes.
I would just like to add that I would like Ji Min and Soo Huyn to continue returning glances, smiles and kisses long after the rain that brought them together stops.
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Based on the script by Rod Mármol, known for creating LGBT+ stories and characters such as those in 'The Super Parental Guardians' and 'Mata Tapang', the audiovisual is set in Manila, the Philippine capital, in times of quarantine due to Covid -19, and tells the story of Judah Dela Vega, a rich young university student who has to maintain social distancing in an apartment shared with several fellow students, but where he has been left alone due to the departure of the others due to the cessation of the classes motivated by the new coronavirus pandemic.
At home things are not better: his mother, Jane Dela Vega (LJ Moreno-Alapag), works abroad, and Lolly, his devoted grandmother (Gina Pareño) has rejected him after learning of his homosexuality and sends him to a camp. of conversion, so Judah refuses to return home with the lady.
However, his life changes when he crosses paths with Rocky Ilagan, a college classmate who has to work part-time because of the poverty in which his family lives, and who is forced to live in the same dormitory due to who has not been able to travel home to the provinces due to road closures.
The protagonists of the series are two broken boys, one for not having been accepted by his grandmother when he came out of the closet, which is why he has distanced himself from the person who raised him in the absence of his mother, and the other for hiding his homosexuality. before her mother when she read a text with a clear sign of suicidal instinct by preferring death instead of confessing her secret.
The main charm of the series directed by Pancho Maniquis (Stuck on You, 2021) comes from the relationship between the two young people, who build a very special bond. The chemistry between Royce Cabrera and Kyo Quijano, who play Rocky and Judah, respectively, is palpable: the two transmit tenderness, camaraderie and a lot of affection.
This helps a lot at a certain point in the plot in which the internalized homophobia of one of the protagonists threatens the love forged between the two, since the warmth is felt despite the conflict created.
Although the character of Royce is the one that receives the most development, and falls in love with his straight boy aura, the deep sensitivity in the struggle with his sexuality and for protecting the person he has fallen in love with, Kyo Quijano makes sure that We grow fond of his Judah because of the complexity of his character and the nuances he brings to it with his performance. We do not want any other ending other than happiness for the two lovers.
Royce acts precise and with innate naturalness, as always. He knows how to take his character to emotional levels without falling into drama. This young actor transmits at all times the transformation that occurs in his character. The casting work is absolutely right in his choice, given that he is able to understand and sentimentally reveal his character to the viewer.
This character's conflict lies in the fact that since his father is a priest, it is difficult for him to admit to him that he is gay. He never confesses his homosexuality to his deceased mother and the fact that he has not done so is something that haunts him.
Both actors have defended various LGBT characters. Royce Cabrera is known for playing the protagonists Ace Policarpo in 'Fuccbois' and Lito in 'Call Me Papi', and for participating in other feature films and series with homosexual themes, such as 'Where Is the Lie?', 'A Soldier's Heart' and 'B X J Forever'.
For his part, Kyo Quijano plays Bryan's boyfriend in 'Luv Express', and Freddie in 'Mahal Kita Beksman', a 2022 feature film.
The supporting cast also does a good job without ever stealing the show. Gina Pareño, remembered for her role as Nanay Flor in the 2008 film 'Serbis', plays a character who will end up accepting her grandson's homosexuality and supporting the relationship that he has begun to build with Rockie. With an infectious laugh, a cheerful countenance and many funny words, the actress reveals why she initially rejects Judah, and gives us more than one touching moment.
Domingo Cumla, in his first appearance on screen, also touches and manages to give nuances to his character beyond being the stereotype of a widowed father, loving and grateful for the kindness of his son, who provides monetarily and materially for the poor family.
Joining them is Beverly Cumla, whose acting debut took place in 2018 in the film 'A Country in Moving Pictures', and on this occasion she has a brief but memorable appearance as Rockie's sister. She will have a great role in the making of the series as editor and first assistant director.
'Quaranthings' stands out by virtue of its communicative power. No viewer will doubt the personality of someone who sleeps in a room with a photo of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an image of Martin Luther King Jr. and posters of several Thai BL series hanging on its walls.
There are also interesting little details of queer coding that will not escape the public. The figures represented in the paintings in the room, the birthday cake candle that Royce holds in his hands, the birthday hats, the luminous decorative piece that rests on a nightstand, the alcohol bottles... The phallic references can be simple, but very effective.
Jan Silverio, known for his work in 'The Rain in Spain', plays Glenn Martinez, a character who correctly fulfills his role of making Royce jealous, as this young man shows interest in having a purely sexual relationship with Judah.
On the other hand, Karl Zarate not only plays Beshie, Judah's faithful boy friend, but also sings "Sansinukuban" (My Universe), the main theme of the series, by Pancho Maniquis and Fitz Shioda.
Kyo Quijano also shows his vocal skills, performing "Ipu-Ipo", by Fern Tan, Pancho Maniquis and Othello Intia.
In addition to its LGBT+ theme, the series, of 8 episodes with an average of 25 minutes each, is distinguished by how it deals with topics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, coming out, social and class differences, and the conflicts of young people regarding these. Judah has already come out of the closet and his main objective in this area is the search for pure love, while Rockie is afraid to recognize his sexuality in a patriarchal and heteronormative society in which men hide their homosexuality and silence their emotions.
This authenticity in portraying the conflicts of young people who are still in the closet for fear of expressing and understanding their feelings reminds us of the importance of queer communities telling their own stories. The creators know the subject and this is reflected in the final work.
Made with great care and love for a young audience, 'Quaranthings' is an adorable romance that also deals with important social and political issues without falling into clichés in telling a story about finding love in times of quarantine.
Joseph Javellana's cinematography, Newt Lobete's camera work, art design, production design and editing all contribute to a quality product, which I recommend to anyone interested in appreciating a beautiful romance.
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Filmed in Beijing and released in 2014, the film tells the story of Hu Kun, a young car driver (played by Lu Yulai), tasked with transporting Wei Zishan, his disdainful and callous boss (played by Li Quan), from a from one place to another in the Chinese capital, without the two men exchanging a single word.
In addition, he is also responsible for taking care of the daily life of the boss, a man who is going through two crises, one of mid-life and one of marital breakdown, and occasionally comes into contact with his superior's wife (Li Xinyun) and other close people. to the character played by Wei Zishan.
The film had its world premiere in 2014 in one of the main cinemas in the Chinese capital, an opening ceremony attended by the two protagonists and the director.
With a script by Fan Jiu Wei, the 29-minute film tells how the serious and taciturn driver is responsible at work, but has his own hidden motives: he is deeply in love with his boss. Due to the enormous difference in identity and social status, added to the fact that he hides his homosexual condition, the driver represses his emotions, but secretly hopes to be able to satisfy his passions one day.
'Boss, I Love You' is the third short film by independent film director Zhang Yuan, and is also one of the works of Youku's "Master Micro Film" from 2014.
As in his landmark film, 'East Palace West Palace' (1996), director Zhang Yuan explores same-sex attraction in the context of power relations in contemporary China, this time as part of the production from the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Beautiful (2014).
While the previous film linked a hapless citizen to ruthless, seductive power ("the prisoner loves his jailer"), in 'Boss, I Love You', the conflict arises from the socioeconomic inequality that leaves the dispossessed pining for what they can't have.
Presented at the International Institute of the California University of Los Angeles (UCLA), as part of its 2014 China Screen Biennial: Spectrum, and awarded at the HK International Film Festival in 2014, 'Boss, I Love You' is co-produced by its two protagonists Li Quan and Lu Yulai.
Graduated in 1989 from the Photography Department of the Beijing Film Academy, after directing 'East Palace and West Palace', Zhang Yuan returned with a same-sex love story in 'Boss, I Love You'.
Known internationally for directing 'Mama' (1999), a combination of documentary and fiction, film and video, which was the first Chinese independent feature film since 1949 and is credited with launching the "Sixth Generation", as well as the "Urban Generation", Zhang Yuan made a series of "underground" films, often inspired by local countercultural movements, such as the indie rock scene 'Beijing Bastards', from 1993, the film 'Sons', from 1996, or the gay subculture, in which 'Boss, I Love You' is inserted.
Starting with 'Seventeen Years' (1999), the Chinese filmmaker made several successful feature films, among which 'Beijing Flickers' stands out.
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When devotion becomes obsession
Franco risks his life and freedom with years in prison when he begins stalking Brent Barcelon, a local celebrity. The problem is that attraction gives way to devotion and this to obsession, and that complicates things, because the Filipino prostitute boy takes his desires to the limit, showing his sickest version. He may be handsome and have a statuesque body, but behind that another truth is developing.'Lodi', idol spelled backwards, is a low-budget, slow, soft-core Filipino porn film from 2017. The protagonist, named Franco, a young sex worker with a beautiful body, is criminally obsessed with a straight boy.
Finally Franco, who visibly does not regret his actions, takes the path of stalking, theft and violence, all with the goal of possessing the boy who sparks his obsession.
The protagonist, who realizes that he could never have a romantic relationship with Brent, pursues him, and discovers where he lives. In this way, he comes to occupy a position as a maintenance manager in his condominium, with the sole purpose of being close to the object of his obsession, without considering the ethical, criminal, legal consequences and harm to himself and other people.
As she commits her crimes, the director and cinematographer simply enjoy the view of her naked body for much of the film. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it too.
The film reflects the involution of a human being as he goes towards his wild instincts, the lowest, twisted and darkest. Franco does not like to deceive and manipulate his clients. Their friend Tiger (Carlo Mendoza), another prostitute, drugs them before robbing them. The protagonist of the story rejects this action.
However, carried away by his dangerous obsession, he also decides to commit the crime, and drugs and rape come into play.
As we can see in the images, 'Lodi' has an important erotic charge with scenes of paid sex and domination sex, but others are not real, as they are recreated in the imagination of the protagonist, who sees himself having consensual sex with Brent.
These explicit sexual scenes (completely removed from the universe of pornography) provide absolute meaning to the story of the protagonist and the plot of the film.
In every erotic drama there is an almost tacit rule: the irrationality of the acts must be recorded, stripping them of a moralistic perspective, but trying to unlock the reasons for the magnetism that leads its protagonists (again and again) to approach each other in the context of the forbidden and even crime. 'Lodi' starts from that guideline, and does it accordingly.
This homoerotic film is directed and written by Tim Muñoz, and stars JM Martinez as Franco and Ace Toledo as Brent.
It was made with a modest budget, which helps it succeed with its proposals.
JM Martinez shines in his role, reflecting an individual whose attraction for another boy grows in crescendo, giving way to an unhealthy obsession that leads him to commit unforgivable crimes. It only takes one sequence of the several that exist in the 79-minute duration, and which lasts just five minutes, to persuade the viewer of the monster that has been created.
JM Martinez's performance is overwhelming, considering that the best tool to reflect his character's obsession was to remain with an averted, inert gaze, with an imperturbable face despite everything he has been planning to carry out his evil plans.
The disruption generated by Brent's presence in the life of a young man who seems to have everything resolved in his life thanks to the sale of his body, is reminiscent of what occurs in other films by the director, such as 'Don Filipo', in the one in which a man becomes obsessed with dominating another to take away his heart and be able to achieve eternal youth.
For his part, the character played by Ace Toledo convincingly demonstrates that he is oblivious to what has been brewing around him such an abject being, whose actions border on the implausible, even within the codes of this story, where instinct takes precedence over any more thoughtful thought.
Both actors starred in 'Hombre', the first feature film by Tim Muñoz and after the short film 'Estranghero' (2016), an erotic film in which JM Martinez and Ace Toledo play LGBTQ+ characters with nude scenes and extreme sexual content.
The supporting cast also contributes with their realistic performances. It's filmed almost in a documentary style and that lends credibility to the whole storytelling aspect of the story.
In his third film, and with the erotic eye of Gregg Araki and Gus Van Sant, Tim Muñoz, whose scripts are in the Filipino vernacular, but always provide subtitles to reach an international audience, also portrays a reality in the world since Antiquity : a fan's devotion to his idol, but taken to unimaginable consequences.
We all, to a greater or lesser extent, feel admiration for an equal, for their peculiarities and characteristics. In many cases, this admiration can be identified with a type of behavior that in psychology is called "idolating", and refers to the assessment and recognition we make of another person, but exclusively focused on their positive qualities.
The ending is cruelty so harmonious with the general story.
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A short with a queer touch and a universal story
"Each person who passes through our lives is unique. They always leave a little of themselves and take a little of us with them. There will be those who will take a lot, but there will not be those who will leave us nothing. This is evident proof that two souls do not meet by chance", Jorge Luis Borges.'The Stranger' is a drama that addresses a chance encounter between a young university student and a stranger with whom he seems to create a deep bond, and whose presence attracts him spontaneously. Likewise, the short film portrays the chemistry in relationships, and allows us to observe a series of behavioral and physical manifestations that show the existence of a deep affinity between both.
The protagonist of this story is Him, played by Cheerafat Keowlek in his acting debut, a lonely and shy student from the province, who, with a camera in his hands, arrives at the emblematic Lumphini Park, in the Thai capital, to carry out a university project. Bath (Pongrak Chulanon) walks through the place, known for playing a supporting role in the 2021 series 'Loveless Society', who on this occasion plays a young worker, somewhat older, who has been waiting for a long time for his girlfriend to finish the workday to take it to her house.
The encounter with a stranger guides the protagonist of this story to a place equally unknown to him, full of doubts and uncertainties, but also well-being, joys and emotions.
The film begins when two strangers exchange a couple of words. The plot begins in that brief one-on-one conversation in which the characters, uncomfortable, measure distances and points in common, establishing a development that determines the plot of the next 22 minutes. The truth is that the interactions bring emotions that will not allow us to leave our seats, and from minute zero we fall in love with the two protagonists, waiting for their frugal meeting to lead them to embark on a romantic love story.
I like how the characters get carried away by the moment, leaving their lives on hold, and somehow ignoring the objective of why they are there, giving themselves over to the other person and the advancement of the plot brought about by their meeting.
'The Stranger' tells of an awakening towards friendship, but it could also be towards something much deeper, when a young man realizes that he is attracted to the stranger who sat next to him on the shores of a city lake, after reaching him a few lost hearing aids.
The short film, written and directed by Pipat Wattanapanit, director of 'Loveless Society', also tells us about the search for trust, security, shelter, understanding and complicity in a stranger whom we may never see again.
Based on the film 'The Stranger', by Miranda, the script is concise and all the dialogues, although quite simple, well establish the closure of the audiovisual production on how the two protagonists relate to each other in their brief meeting.
The performances are correct and complement the idea that the protagonists create a bond that could be the prelude to a beautiful friendship and, why not, a love relationship. The two characters embody their roles and well convey the emotions and discomfort present at the beginning of the meeting, with Cheerafat Keowlek acting as a reserved young man who little by little opens up to the nobility and delicacy of a stranger who catches his attention a special way, and Pongrak Chulanon as a relaxed, optimistic, self-confident individual, but with an aura of mystery that equally captivates the viewer.
It is a pleasure to see the two actors interact, that their different personalities collide and convincingly show the attraction through curiosity, non-verbal language, contact, including visual contact, the fluttering of pheromones to have a feeling.
The production is well shot, making good use of location work and different angles, with powerful images, photographed by Pratchaya Pethwisit. Each scene integrates well with the other, giving the film a nice flow from the first frame to the last.
The soundtrack deserves special mention. The music is written and produced by Sarakorn Rujirawannakorn, whose main theme is titled "Stranger", a song performed by actor Pongrak Chulanon. Well chosen, it also does a great job of making transitions between different scenes and recreating the feelings and emotions that overcome the protagonists.
The narrative is presented as a clear vision with a great flow that will keep the viewers engrossed till the end.
The director is a talent that must be paid attention to and followed in his future productions.
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If in 'Find You in the Crowd', a 2017 short film, which marked the debut of Chinese screenwriter and film director Zhang Yun He ('Until the Autumn Wind Start', 'Love Ever After'), he explored homophobia, homophobia internalized, the love triangle and unrequited love, in 'Find You In The Dream' he returns to his thematic obsessions and addresses sexual repression, the relationships of close friends and the school environment, always having homosexual characters as protagonists.
In this latest short film, also from 2017, the Chinese filmmaker exposes repressions as the worst punishment that a person can receive or promote, by portraying a young man who lives sexually tied and repressed.
During the film, Zhang Yun He explores themes such as internalized homophobia and the repressed desire to live sexuality freely.
Seeing the wishing bottle shattered, Qiao Ke feels that his heart was broken and that both he and his lover had lost their lives.
Starring Wang Qinhua, Jiang Yuqi and Zhang Caili as Qiao Ke and Jiang Yunan, respectively, in just over 21 minutes, this sad film tells us about the memories of Qiao Ke, a young repressed homosexual who does not accept his true nature, and Today, eight years later, he still regrets not having been able to express his true feelings to Anan, his classmate in high school, with whom he has always been in love, but he will no longer have the opportunity to confess his love.
Also known as 'Hu Meng Shaonian Shì', 'Sudden Dream' and 'A Dream of Youth', the short film, written by Xie Wanrong, Baggio and Zhang Yunhe, guides us through the memories and thoughts of the protagonist, who expresses his pain and sadness for being a young man repressed by the fear of being who he really is, and for living a double life by hiding his true sexuality and refusing to recognize that he is in love with his dear friend.
Qiao Ke will believe at some point that Chen Donger, played by actress Zhang Caili, is also in love with Nam, but she is the supportive friend that every gay should have by their side.
Since its public release, it has received good reviews, especially from specialists in this type of American cinema themes, since its presentation at film festivals in New York and Los Angeles, for the coldness and rawness with which the story is told. However, others maintain that it is a reality that in many cases is worse.
The cinematography, color palette and music as a whole reflect the tone of the film and expose the moods of the characters.
Also worth highlighting is the use of monologue. Qiao Ke guides the viewer on an introspective journey, revealing the relationship he has with his best friend, the boy he is in love with. Along the way, the protagonist discovers himself and questions himself for not having been sincere.In short, it is one of those films that talks about feelings, the passage of time and regrets. It is a story that shows a very everyday intrinsic truth in the lives of many homosexuals in the world, which manages to captivate the viewer. It is based on a creation that is far from great artifice, but that wins with that minimalist aspect.
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A moving look at the challenges and triumphs that accompany coming out
There are films that seem to be built more from emotion than from reason and that, by making a virtue of necessity, are capable of crossing borders and penetrating the depths of the heart. 'Coming Out' ('Kamingu Auto', its original name in Japanese), is clearly one of those films.The tenderness and care with which this raw story of a homosexual university student who hides his homosexuality and decides to come out of the closet to his family and friends, in addition to confessing his love to Noburo, his best friend, is treated from the first moment, supplements any possible technical or artistic deficiency.
In the end, within this story, the issue of homosexuality appears almost as a footnote and what is really underlined is that what matters is that LOVE will always remain LOVE, and no one can break that.
So anyone who tries to approach this film in search of morbidity and bait may already forget about the subject. The only thing we find here is a beautiful love story full of meaning and loaded with sensitivity.
Ang Lee had already warned us in another story that took place at the foot of the Brokeback mountains. Being oneself and loving fully becomes practically impossible when desire comes face to face with the wall of the laws of an unjust society that decides in advance what is good and what is not. Laws solely based on prejudices that use any shortcut – homosexuality, for example – to condemn what is not considered correct. A society that prejudges and takes the behavior of others so lightly can only be a sick society. Those who have suffered it in some way and in a similar situation know that a story like this could only be born from the viscera and woven with the threads of pure emotion.
In his debut as a screenwriter and director, japanese filmmaker Inudo Kazutoshi ('Crack', 2015) weaves a story in which Akami Yo, an ordinary homosexual college student who enjoys spending time with his friends, has decided to come out of the closet.
Given the insistence of his family and friends to introduce him to his girlfriend, or the demands of when he is going to get married and have children, the protagonist decides to communicate his sexual orientation to the people around him and who are important in his life, after having accepted herself with that orientation.
The film explores what is perhaps one of the most complicated and at the same time most satisfying decisions in the life of every homosexual. Tired of living pretending to be someone else and, despite feeling afraid of being rejected by others, the boy has decided to take the step, within a conservative family, a heteronormative and patriarchal country that does not recognize marriage between people of the same sex and with high levels of homophobia.
'Coming Out' is a drama with no more pretensions than those indicated in its premise, and it is clear that the director and screenwriter intends to highlight the general attitude of society regarding the issues of the Japanese LGBT community. In that sense, it seems very educational and almost preachy at times, but the purposes of making a film like this in a country like Japan is understandable.
I find the part where Yo talks to his parents the most intriguing and I can imagine that many viewers will be able to identify with it. It's a little cheesy to be brutally honest, but I find it endearing.
First he will talk to his sister because he may feel more comfortable addressing the topic with her, then with his parents and finally with Noburo, who in addition to being his best friend is the boy he likes.
The only ones who know Yo's secret are Tsuyoshi and Madame, two gay employees of the "Bb" bar where he usually goes, and a girl who frequents the same, who will encourage him to come out of the closet.
Despite its seemingly trite theme, this film tells the story honestly by showing the harsh reality of a world in which people hate or fear those who are different. For a homosexual to fit into Japanese society it seems to be necessary to hide one's true identity and repress what one really is.
Also noteworthy is the performance of the protagonist, Takahashi Naoto ('Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'), who manages to intensely convey the feelings of a complex character.
The cast is closed by Taiji Utagawa, Fumika Ichinose and Kosuke Akiyama (TooT Aki), who in fact came out of the closet in the Japanese media.
The film was so popular that it was sold out at an advance screening at the 23rd Tokyo International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
The viewer may like how the camera closes on the protagonist's face when he confesses to his sister, before moving on to her. Likewise, the split screen color and Yo's internal dialogue.
On the other hand, the film presents organizations and self-teaching material about the lives of LBGTQ+ people and a critique of their media representation, something significant if we take into account that it was filmed in 2014.
Despite being a film with a strong dramatic charge, it gives you the dose of energy, optimism and empowerment necessary to go out into the street and proudly shout what you feel.
The message is not only one of self-acceptance, but also of fighting for our rights, offering a moving look at the challenges and triumphs that accompany coming out and the process of accepting oneself.
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A beautiful love story full of meaning and loaded with sensitivity.
'Hello Stranger: The Movie' is one of those feature films capable of crossing borders and penetrating the depths of the heart.Both a romantic comedy and a coming-of-age film, the film follows in the footsteps of the characters from the series of the same name, released in 2020.
On this occasion, Dwein Ruedas Baltazar, the Filipino actress, editor, screenwriter and director, known for telling stories focused on identity and sexual diversity, such as 'Sila-Sila' and 'KALEL, 15', takes a position behind the cameras, while Daniel S. Saniana and Patrick R. Valencia, writer of the script for the film 'The Third Party' and the series 'Hello Stranger', come together to write the film text that will cause a roller coaster of emotions in viewers.
Xavier and Mico's relationship deepens, while the well-known gang of Young Padawans, Kookai (Vivoree Esclito), Seph (Patricio Quiroz) and Junjun (Miguel Almendras), and a large group of University students, including Crystal (Gillian Vicencio), Xavier's girlfriend, go to a writing camp, taking the virtual kilig to the real world, just in the days around Valentine's Day.
The feature film, 101 minutes long, continues where the series left off and the story develops as the film progresses, adding new characters and a new, although familiar, conflict between the two male protagonists, in a post-pandemic environment.
The flashbacks of the intervening months clearly explain why the protagonists acted in this way and how they felt motivated to carry out the actions that led Xavier and Mico to distance themselves.
Following the premise of the series, the film defends the idea of honesty, and is revealing for those who hide their true identity. With just the right drama, it exposes only honest feelings waiting to be expressed from one towards the other, seen from Xavier's public confession, almost in one of the final scenes, of being in love with another man. He had already confessed it to his parents before.
It is never easy to confess deep emotions, but the protagonists, faced with the risk of losing the person they love, find the courage to express their feelings, and thus find the freedom that a patriarchal and heteronormative society denies them, which tells you that loving someone of your same sex is not correct.
The acting of the protagonists is great. The character of Mico, played by JC Alcantara, quite emotional as an actor, will bring tears to your eyes through his pain, and laughter due to his contagious joy and overwhelming joy, with his expressive eyes, sometimes tearful, sometimes smiling, and marked dimples that furrow his face.
There is something very special about this young actor. He has the ability to access the soul of his character and really moves the audience. I hope to see more of him in film and television.
For his part, Tony Labrusca, in the role of Xavier, surpasses himself this time, giving new nuances to his character.
Both actors, with amazing chemistry that exudes genuineness, convey love outside the heteronormative bubble with such reverence and authenticity.
If in the series they had already demonstrated their histrionic skills and the comfort of working together, they take the film to another level of brilliance, far exceeding our expectations. From his comic scenes to the big, dramatic speeches, his lines are full of intensity and realism.
This is a wonderful movie. The performances are simply incredible, highlighting the role of Tony Labrusca. This young actor gives a performance so tender and realistic that it makes my heart tighten every time I watch the film.
There is a dramatic scene after the tug of war that really shows off the great performance of the two actors. And the final scene is tender and charming and the filming with the beginning of the song makes it a classic.
Mico's inseparable friends are still here and once again give him their support in the search for happiness and love. Kookai, Jujun and Shep will make you wish you had them in your life and the movie never fails to emphasize that. The audience will be treated to one of my favorite scenes: the one in which the Young Padawans play "Shageddy Shapopo" near the end, such a strong symbolism of how close the friendship of the four young people is.
The new supporting cast are seasoned characters and add color to the film.
Another important point, like a good film by Dwein Ruedas Baltazar, is the soundtrack, with the musical direction of Glenn Barit, in which its main theme stands out, "Kahit Na Anong Sabihin Ng Iba", performed by the same actors, who since It already occupies an important place among my favorite music.
Some of the songs that help us understand the moods of the characters are "She", (performed by Sab), "Pangako" (Kyle Echarry), "Dahil Sa'yo" (Inigo Pascual and Gabriel Tagadtad, "Kung Akin Ang Mundo (Christian Martinez), and "Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako" (KZ Kandingan). This last song is about who has to choose between two people.
The movie may stand alone, but I would recommend you watch the series first.
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From time to time you can see movies with real and controversial themes with gay characters
Homophobia, which can be expressed both manifestly and subtly, has been brought to film from various approaches and cinematography. One of the films that addresses this issue, even from its symbolic and recurring title, is 'Human Too', by Thai director and producer Supannasa Sirikuptapasan.The premiere of the LGBTIQ+ themed romantic drama took place on February 28, 2024 and is based on a script written by the filmmaker himself. With a duration of 44 minutes, Supannasa Sirikuptapasan turns the fear, rejection and hatred towards homosexual people into a film.
Nueng is a gay teenager who is the victim of bullying. The son of absent parents, he faces verbal and physical violence every day from his classmates. Likewise, the teachers and school directors, as part of a patriarchal society, deny him the necessary protection.
The story reaches its climax once Nueng is led, by the circumstances in which he lives, to consider taking his own life, with which we immerse ourselves with him in a true endless nightmare, a tunnel in which there seems to be no exit. The physical and psychological torture to which Nueng is subjected hurts us in our own flesh.
Supannasa Sirikuptapasan takes the risks and dares to show us through his film one of the cruelest and most regrettable truths of Thai reality and also, why not, universal: the homophobia that exists in a conservative country with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions. The film constitutes a shocking social denunciation against the discrimination and harassment that homosexuals around the world have suffered and continue to suffer at some point.
Patiphan Namsamut's performance is convincing. With his appearance, the actor gives life to a tormented boy. Key, as he likes to call himself, was very clear that he was the key for the public to perceive homophobia and the physical and mental damage it causes in those who suffer from it. His role stands out for providing humanity to the adolescent trapped between hatred, shame and misunderstanding.
For his part, Win Witthawidth Kittitheeranon, his best friend, platonic love and the only person who always protects him, plays a worthy co-star role, among other things because this young man, whom we could see in the short film 'Names', from 2023 , makes Key's work even greater, an eloquent example of support between two artists in front of the camera.
After causing her harm, Tong admits to himself his love for Nueng and without hesitation comes out to his mother. Other flights also correspond to its role, such as showing the dehumanization of those who promote homophobia.
The dramatic charge reaches a high level in each scene, especially in the moments of harassment and on the roof of the building where the also protagonist of the love triangle in the film 'Limerence', from 2023, intends to jump into the void.
Portraying sexual assault, physical and verbal violence, mental and cyberbullying, on the one hand, and the support and accompaniment that the protagonist receives from Tong and the father's acceptance of his son's homosexuality, on the other, magnifies the film, taking it beyond the coordinates of cinema of social denunciation to become a medium-length film of discovery, acceptance, coming of age, personal transformation and maturation.
The photography by Jirayu Khositwansakul, Tanayut Sawarut and Sirichai Chaisirimit contribute to narrating in detail each of the tribulations of its protagonist, from the scenes of harassment and discrimination to those of receiving the long-awaited declaration of love, from the violent initial scenes in a depressed and gray high school to the bucolic and bright of Nueng hugging Tong after defying death.
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Based on the novel of the same name by British writer Aidan Chambers, the central hero of the film tries to clarify his memories, after having experienced a fantasy caused by a teenage crush.
Scripted and edited by Terrence Hu himself, the film aims to explore the tortuous search for oneself, as well as the depressing idea of inevitable death that is very closely related to the transgressions of adolescence.
Starring Hu Kaixiang and Tingkai Huang, 'Dance on My Grave' had its world premiere at the Beijing Queer Film Festival 2022, and presents us with death manifested in a metaphorical way.
The protagonist's interest in death is more than an adolescent preoccupation. It is natural that someone on the verge of adulthood, experiencing sexual pleasure and the joy of autonomy, youth and beauty for the first time, would be alarmed by the transience of everything they have just discovered.
Autobiographical in nature, the title of the short film is in itself challenging and surprising, since human beings inescapably associate dance with celebration. On the contrary, we perceive death as something we have to deal with, as a sad and bitter reminder of our mortality. Dancing at a mourning moment would be considered inappropriate at best, more likely offensive and disrespectful.
The viewer is forced to confront the question of death subjectively through the protagonist's concern for "death itself" which he constantly evokes, and also metaphorically through the death of the self in the characters themselves.
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Message to fight homophobia and internalized homophobia
Chai is a lonely young man who recently graduated. Dissatisfied in his courtship, he ends up with the girlfriend with whom his father, a man who continually dictates to him how to live, hopes that he will marry one day and have a happy life according to his criteria of happiness.One night, fed up with this situation, Chai gets drunk in a bar where he meets Raffe, a friendly stranger who takes care of him.
'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man! (ราฟกับชาย), is a Thai LGBTIQ+ themed romantic short film, released on December 22, 2023 by Wayufilm Production.
One of the benefits of the film is to introduce us to two new faces in the BL universe: those of the young Euro Pratchakorn Nokaew, the actor who plays Chai, known for taking on the role of Hope in the miniseries 'Her', and Novel Paruntawatt Wittayarutt, who precisely makes his acting debut with the role of Raffe.
Despite being a simple story and, incidentally, we will know very little about our protagonists, the tension and conflict created advance the story and keep the audience interested.
Scripted and directed by filmmaker Nicchi Nitchapoom Chaianun, the film seeks to make us reflect on parents who accept the homosexuality of everyone, except that of their children.
This is evident with Chai's father, a man who lives or works in a space where two clearly visible giant posters that allude to love between boys hang on the wall. One of them is obviously that of the film 'My Bromance' ("พี่ชาย My Bromance", Phi Chai My Bromance), from 2014, directed by Nicchi himself, in which two young people of the same sex can be seen hugging.
However, this character, played by the renowned actor Pug Raywat Peanpojjananarth, despite being inserted in an environment surrounded by homosexual images and symbolism, does not accept his son's homosexuality.
Other topics addressed are internalized homophobia and acceptance. Chai doesn't love his girlfriend and this is why he argues with his father. Thus he ends up in a visibly gay bar. He is approached by a boy who politely asks if he can keep him company. Raffe's interest is evident as he approaches Chai. After drinking with Raffe, that's the boy's name, Chai rejects him because he is gay.
Then, the conflict, organic and arising naturally from the story, is established: the two characters have opposite desires or objectives.
While Raffe seeks to establish a romantic, or at least sexual, bond, Chai, who tries to erase with alcohol the treatment his father gives him every day, hides himself behind not wanting to be linked to homosexuals.
However, being drunk, he ends up allowing himself to be driven to the young man's house, with whom he will establish a deep loving bond. Chai has overcome internalized homophobia.
What does the character still have to do after falling in love with a boy?
Meeting Raffe will also result in Chai gaining courage and confronting his father, in the most dramatic scene of the short film. And not only this, but his father finally accepts his son.
It is interesting that the film is designed to be narrated many of its scenes without the spoken word, with the support of music and moving images, specifically in some moments of interaction between the two protagonists in which they animatedly converse.
And in that, we understand Nicchi, who, from the audiovisual resources of montage and shot, opts for this structure to advance the story.
Telling a story with limited use of dialogue is a rigorous exercise in cinematographic terms. One of the main resources used in cinema is oral narration, almost always descriptive, and serves to complete what cannot be resolved by visual means.
But in the case of 'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man! There is even more, because it is a film that breaks down each moment shot by shot, in a fluid narrative and without unnecessary editing tricks. It always prevails a conception of space as a place to be explored by the eye, without cuts and with a lot of imagination.
With good performances, commendable production values and fluid narrative and scenery, 'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man' leaves us with a profound message of fighting against homophobia and internalized homophobia.
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