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Soul Mate (Japanese Series)

Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...

Gay Short Films : 111

Bytost (Slovakia) [Only Human]
Pornstar Philip and pianist Christoph are in love, but they are from completely different worlds. A collision of their professional lives leads to tension and questioning the nature of their relationship. While Christoph persuades Philip to change his career, he feels trapped in the vicious circle of the industry.  Are porn and romance disparate? An interesting subject indeed but I wish the treatment was little different. It fails to make the impact, that a subject like this should.

The Pass (USA)
On holiday, Ben declines an offer from a handsome man, Sam, to go to a private beach, The Pass. There, Ben meets Christopher who grows aggressive as he struggles to mask his desires for Ben, leaving him afraid to get out of the water. The film is disturbing and ambiguous with probably trying to delve into some complex relationship shit but overall was strictly ok.

Estranghero (Philippines)
A farmer finds a young man badly wounded and he nurses him to health. Turns outthat the guy was wounded in the same attacks where the farmer's wife was killed. Trauma and sadness brings these two strangers closer, hatred turns to lust to eventually love. A soft porn ish kinda film where you keep wondering why was it made and leaves a bit confused. Good thing is we get to see a couple penis shots.

Don't Be a DICK! (Germany)
Short animation about the representation of the male body image in adult websites, and how racism defines the ideal body image in the western culture. The film inveighs complicated ideas about racism, history and colonialism. This is NOT a gay short film, but anything with dicks in it, gets an honorary invite in the gay world.

Lui (Brazil)
Lui likes playing with the routine, with sex, with the gender. As a circus teacher, he is discovering the beauties of a light and fun love, but he gets disappointed when realizes that, deeply, the person he loves cannot understand that he is simply a free person to live and love the way he wants. This was confusing tbh.

Best Wishes (Australia)
Two young queer Chinese men who have feelings for each other connect over the phone just as one of them is preparing to be married to a woman. This was a really short film of less than 5 minutes. Not very impressive IMO.

Photo Op (USA)
A lonely Brooklyn photographer gets the courage to come out from behind his camera to capture his crush, but there is more to the picture than meets the eye. This short came back in 2015 and I am not sure somehow I missed it. A simple story, a powerful twist. And a sort of realism with real cold breath.

El Intercambio (Argentina) [The Exchange]
Mateo and Lucas, best friends, go out to party in a hot summer night, where Mateo meets a girl and takes her home. Next morning he wakes up with his dick stolen by the girl and him now having a vagina. Since Lucas has never done with a girl, he asks Mateo to be his first who agrees. This short film exposes sexuality without fear, without labels, without holding back. A film that shows the beauty of sex, love, friendship, and innocence. This has to be one of the most innovative story ideas in recent times.

Floating Melon (China/Spain)
A journey of passion, a bitter night. Xiao Cheng ask for help to resolve a big trouble, the guy with whom he spend the afternoon is dead on his bed from the effect of a drug, not something the Chinese authorities look kindly on. He needs to take a decision that risk his future for the consequences of the strict rules of the society. He is surrounded by the confusion present on some members of the young gay Chinese community, with no moral referents apart from the official doctrine.

Into The Storm (Spain)
What appears to be an erotic exchange between two strangers is revealed to have much deeper implications in this thoughtful relationship drama from Spain. Lovers Pol and Lucas are trying to spice things up while on vacation. They laugh, dance and scream together, but it’s the words they’re afraid to say that carry the most weight. A short film resulted from a breakup. This is the album of a relationship that hangs in the balance. 

The Carer (UK)
Ari, a sophisticated and urbane gay man, moves into a Care Home after his partner and love of many years dies and encounters Beau, the beautiful, heterosexual, illiterate former thief who is now his Carer. Their unlikely meeting changes the future for both of them.

Ayor (Netherlands)
During the national commemoration of Remembrance Day in 1970, two men try to make a statement against gay discrimination. In the moments before and after the incident, their doubt, fear and firm belief becomes clear.

All The Way (UK)
Rayvenn and Lourenço find themselves in new relationships but will their political differences drive them apart? This is story of two black friends ( a girl and a guy) dealing with their individual relationships made in a 4 part miniseries, using animation and live action.

Gay Camp (USA)
In a world where most of the population is gay, children who exhibit "straight' tendencies are sent to camps in order to convert them back to a natural homosexual lifestyle. Camp Sohomo will convert your child in record time. An interesting funny sattire.

My Friendship 2 - Before the Rainbow (Thailand)
This 2 part 45 min series is actually a prequel to the previous show. This show sus the story of how Jack and Bank came to be together. Shown in two parts, we see how the duo are just friends while Bank likes a girl but Jack likes Bank. Slowly, the curiosity gets better of them and they start fooling around leading to full on sex a semester later. But eventually they need to go their own paths. Essentially story of teenagers discovering their sexual identity. 

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