Each of the five films in this collection explores sexual yearning from a distinctly original angle. One is very sexy, and the others are bursting with unexpected expressions of desire.
The Daytime Doorman (Brazil, 25 mins) is the sexy story of Marcelo, who lusts after doorman Marcio, even though he’s married with kids. Then one day Marcio agrees to give it a whirl, leading to some hot, very naked sex. But Marcelo isn’t the only gay in the building, and bigger community issues are swirling around.
Xavier (Brazil, 13 mins) is an understated, gentle drama centred on Nicolas, who is alerted to some issues with his 11-year-old son Xavier at school, where he struggles to interact or concentrate, and shows an unusual interest in older boys. Clearly, Xavier is too young to know why he’s doing these things, and maybe Nicolas can help him understand that it’s all good.
The Other Side (Mexico, 15 mins) is a darkly emotional drama about Felipe, who falls for mechanic Claudio. But when Claudio’s family discover this, they quickly send him to the USA to remove the temptation. So Felipe decides to make the dangerous journey across the desert to join him on the other side of the border. The film is gorgeously shot in baking sunshine, and it gets pretty intense.
The Tiger’s Fight (Mexico, 17 mins) follows two young guys as they prepare for a traditional ceremony designed to end the drought: they must dress as tigers to wrestle each other and give flowers to the girls. But Nicolas wants to give his flowers to his fight partner Pablo instead. The film has a terrific sense of the culture and setting, and it builds to a very steamy wrestling match.
Loris is Fine(Italy, 23 mins) is a minimalistic story about a 23-year-old guy whose boyfriend’s HIV-positive status is causing problems. So he decides to do something unexpected about it. The film is intriguing and more than a little enigmatic. But it approaches the issue in a way that feels understated and startlingly provocative. Jack Cline
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