The Films of Marco Berger

“I let others talk about doing controversial projects that they think will end up at Cannes. Whereas I think my work is always talking about love. Love between men. And I’m going to keep doing it until I die.”Marco Berger

 

Since his first feature film, Plan B, debuted on the international film festival circuit back in 2009, Argentina-based writer-director Marco Berger has been one of our favorite filmmakers. Mixing homoerotic desire, suspense and dramatic tension, he’s created an impressive collection of slow-burn gay indie gems that reward patient and attentive viewers. With the recent release of his film Young Hunter – available now on DVD and VOD at TLAgay – we wanted to take a look back through his resume and spotlight some of our top picks. Though not all of his work is currently available, we linked the titles below so that you can check them out on our website, place your order and take a deep dive into his alluring cinematic world.

 

Click here to check out the full selection of available films.

 

Absent
Knowingly, even aggressively sexual, 16-year-old Martin (Javier De Pietro) locks his seductive sights on Sebastian (Carlos Echevarria), his recently engaged, 30-something swimming instructor. Faking an injury, Martin eventually tricks his teacher into letting him spend the night at his apartment. As Sebastian begins to realize the possible sexual interest on the part of his student, he is conflicted. He is dismissive, but his curiosity is piqued by the boy’s overt advances. An extraordinary event soon forces the increasingly troubled Sebastian to question his own feelings for young Martin. Absent is not a simple boy-meets-boy drama. It’s a taut drama of repressed passion, guilt and regret. The film won the coveted Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin Film Festival when it debuted in 2011.

The Blonde One
In the suburbs of Buenos Aires, Gabriel (Gaston Re) has just moved in with his colleague, Juan (Alfonso Barón). Shy and reserved, Gabriel is reluctant to follow Juan’s wandering hands and meaningful looks. With a revolving door of beauties streaming out of Juan’s bedroom, his machismo seems firmly in place. However, the attraction between the two men is undeniable. What starts out as a sexual relationship based on convenience of location soon develops into the engrossing evolution of a tender and intimate relationship, which is as sweet as it is heartbreaking. But, as reality begins to set in on their homemaking fantasy, something needs to give… or does it? Poignant, beautifully-crafted and incredibly sexy, The Blonde One is one of the hottest gay movies of the past few years.

 

Hawaii
Sexual tension practically spills off the screen in this sweaty, titillating romance originally released in 2013. Berger’s Hawaii follows Martin and Eugenio (Manuel Vignau and Mateo Chiarino), two former childhood friends who reunite during a hot summer in the Argentinean countryside. As they work together to restore Eugenio’s summer home, a game of power and desire ensues – compelling the two buddies to grapple with their sexual attraction and reconsider their relationship. With gorgeous cinematography, a lush setting and compelling lead performances, Hawaii is an intimate and unique slow-moving character study that pushes past social boundaries. Lead actors Vignau and Chiarino make the underlying sexual tension palpable from start to finish.

 

Sexual Tension: Volatile
Berger’s pulsating collection of short films weaves together six scintillating experiences of men in various forms of erotic bonding. A young man feels the adrenaline rush of his sexy tattoo artist’s needle in Ari while in The Cousin, a cute boy has a taboo attraction for a family member. Two “straight” buddies literally show each other how to make love to a woman in The Other One, while a man with Broken Arms receives a sensual sponge bath from a male nurse. Love is questionable when a broken shower brings a married man and an innkeeper together and in Workout two muscular men begin to explore each other’s chiseled bodies. Voyeuristic pleasures await you as the camera penetrates and caresses the men’s bodies while exploring the mysterious and electrifying nature of male intimacy.

 

Sexual Tension: Violetas
Berger and co-writer/director Marcelo Mónaco followed up Sexual Tension: Volatile with another collection of shorts, this time for the ladies. Exploring the art of seduction between two women – through six very different, incredibly sexy stories – Sexual Tension: Violetas is an assured underground lesbian classic. Two guests of a hostel become roommates (and more), a keen shop assistant helps a woman uncertain about what dress to buy, great passion starts to develop between girls during a picnic, a few women get a little carried away whilst discussing films at a restaurant, and two high-class escorts discover that they are attracted to each other when they are in bed with a client. Never less than exciting and passionate, this effortlessly cool collection offers up  six unforgettable stories of lesbian attraction.

 

Taekwondo
In a gorgeous country house in Buenos Aires, Fernando (Lucas Papa) gathers his buddies for a boys-only vacation. Free from work, responsibilities and their girlfriends, this close-knit gang of bros kick back by the pool, sunning their impeccably toned bodies and sharing drug-fueled stories of sexual conquests. Fernando has also invited a newcomer named Germán (Gabriel Epstein), a friend from his taekwondo class, who neglects to tell the group that he’s gay. As the lazy summer days disappear, the connection between Fernando and Germán grows and slowly the boundaries of their relationship begin to blur. A veritable masterclass in will-they-won’t-they suspense, this gloriously protracted, beautifully nuanced tease is both wantonly titillating and disarmingly sweet – luxuriating in the eroticism and lingering over the semi-clad bodies with unapologetic gay abandon.

 

Young Hunter
Berger’s most recently released film is a tense and thought-provoking thriller. Young Hunter follows Ezequiel (Juan Pablo Cestaro), a fifteen-year-old boy on the cusp of his sexual awakening. While his parents are away, he meets a handsome, slightly older guy named Mono (Lautaro Rodríguez) and quickly starts a relationship. Mono invites him to his cousin’s villa to spend a weekend together, but while returning from the trip Mono seemingly disappears, no longer responding to texts. Ezequiel is surprised and confused until Chino (Juan Barberini), Mono’s cousin, sends him a hidden camera video of their sexual encounter, blackmailing him into participating in an increasingly dangerous criminal conspiracy. Against his own will, Ezequiel must decide whether to come clean or turn from prey to hunter.

 

Once again, click here to explore the exciting work of Marco Berger.

 

 

This Weekend’s VOD Favorites

The Gay Cinema Video On Demand experience at TLAgay.com has your entertainment needs covered! We’re always working to expand selection of new and old gay-themed movies available for your viewing pleasure. Here’s just five of our current favorites that you may have missed – ALL available to watch INSTANTLY! Stay home, stay safe and enjoy a movie!

Screwed
A gorgeous feature-length debut from talented writer-director Nils-Erik Ekblom, Screwed takes us to the Finnish countryside for an unforgettably romantic summer. Seventeen-year-old Miku (Mikko Kauppila) is trying to come to terms with his sexuality and find his place in the world. After his parents find out that he threw a wild party while they were away, he is ordered to spend the summer with them at their cottage. A flirtation soon develops between he and Elias (Valtteri Lehtinen), the irresistible boy next door. As they spend the summer together, escaping the turmoil offered up by their uniquely dysfunctional families, a passionate relationship quickly blossoms. But the boys soon realize that love is not as easy as it seems… especially when it comes to first love.

This image has an empty alt attribute

Shadowlands
Directed by Charlie David, Shadowlands is a sexy new anthology film that features three different stories that exploring the erotic and the macabre. The series begins in 1928 with Alex, a plastic surgeon hell-bent on perfection, hosting a house party with an assortment of colorful guests. Amid romantic misfires it becomes apparent that the only person Alex is interested in is himself. Fast forward to 1951 where we meet a gay military couple exploring the idea of opening their relationship while on a remote camping trip… where they meet a mysterious stranger. The stories conclude in 2018 when a painter, mourning the loss of his lover, becomes obsessed with creating a realistic painting of him. The resulting piece is so beautiful and life-like that he is drawn under its dangerous spell.

Like You Mean It
In the remarkable relationship drama Like You Mean It, first-time writer-director Philipp Karner (who also stars in the film) deftly captures the challenges of life in Los Angeles through the eyes of a disillusioned actor named Mark. Having spent years auditioning for bit parts, Mark questions whether he’s masculine enough for Hollywood’s leading-man criteria. His relationship with Jonah (Denver Milord), a sweet-natured musician and unfailingly supportive boyfriend, is on the verge of collapse, and nostalgia for happier times only makes their current troubles worse. As they attempt to reignite their intimacy through sex, drugs and therapy, Mark is forced to confront his own self-worth within the vast and notoriously isolating City of Angels.

Absent
This stylish film from prolific director Marco Berger (the same guy behind Hawaii, Plan B, Sexual Tension: Volatile and Testosterone) follows Martin (Bromance star Javier De Pietro), a knowingly, even aggressively sexual sixteen-year-old locks his seductive sights on Sebastian (Carlos Echevarría), his recently engaged, thirty-something swimming instructor. Faking an injury, Martin manages to trick his teacher into letting him spend the night at his apartment. As Sebastian begins to realize the possible sexual interest on the part of his student, he is conflicted. He is dismissive, but his curiosity is piqued by the boy’s overt advances. Though he knows it’s wrong, the increasingly troubled Sebastian soon beings questioning his own feelings for young Martin. Winner of the coveted Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin Film Festival, Absent is not a simple boy-meets-boy drama. It’s a taut, and at times, incredible sexy drama of repressed passion, guilt and regret. There are no easy answers in this edgy sexual thriller.

Fire Island ’79
In 1957 Chase was just sixteen-years-old when he moved to New York City. He worked sporadically as an actor, set designer, photographer, hustler, etc. before discovering his true passion: film making.. His films were widely acclaimed in experimental/underground/art film circles but deemed pornographic and obscene by mainstream critics, the police and the courts. Chase proudly described himself not as an artist but as a pornographer. Chase committed suicide on December 31st, 1979. All of his films were destroyed by his ultra-conservative family. Recently 3 rolls of unprocessed super 8 home movies were found of his last summer on Fire Island. Also recovered was the tape from Chase’s answering machine. This seven-minute short film from co-directors Todd Verow and Patrick McGuinn is a dark, experimental celebration of dark, experimental underground film.

This Weekend’s VOD Favorites

The Gay Cinema Video On Demand experience at TLAgay.com has your entertainment needs covered! We’re always working to expand selection of new and old gay-themed movies available for your viewing pleasure. Here’s just five of our current favorites, from various years, that you may have missed – ALL available to watch INSTANTLY! These aren’t our TOP 5, by any means – just a handful of flicks we want to highlight.

Absent
This stylish film from prolific director Marco Berger (the same guy behind Hawaii, Plan B, Sexual Tension: Volatile and Testosterone) follows Martin (Bromance star Javier De Pietro), a knowingly, even aggressively sexual sixteen-year-old locks his seductive sights on Sebastian (Carlos Echevarría), his recently engaged, thirty-something swimming instructor. Faking an injury, Martin manages to trick his teacher into letting him spend the night at his apartment. As Sebastian begins to realize the possible sexual interest on the part of his student, he is conflicted. He is dismissive, but his curiosity is piqued by the boy’s overt advances. Though he knows it’s wrong, the increasingly troubled Sebastian soon beings questioning his own feelings for young Martin. Winner of the coveted Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin Film Festival, Absent is not a simple boy-meets-boy drama. It’s a taut, and at times, incredible sexy drama of repressed passion, guilt and regret. There are no easy answers in this edgy sexual thriller.

Read More

Halloween Highlights: 50 Queer Horror Flicks We Think Are Worth a Look – Part 1

If you’re the same kind of scare-seeking movie geek that I am, you’ll know that October is a time to light a few candles, turn down the lights, open up the windows to let in that fresh autumn breeze… before really setting the mood with some seasonally-appropriate scary movies! This month, I’m sure we’ll revisit some tried and true classics (think The Exorcist, The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, the original Halloween). I have plans to finally bust open the Criterion Collection edition of Don’t Look Now I bought forever ago. Being authorities on all things gay-cinema, though, we at TLAgay.com wanted to put in a good word for some queer movies that don’t make the usual ranked horror lists. We came up with a selection of 50 different gay titles that are either direct horror movies or horror adjacent (suspense, mysteries, thrillers). Below, you’ll find the first ten movies – in alphabetical order – with new lists appearing each Monday in October. Keep checking back each week for the latest additions!

 

We tried to limit these to films that are currently available on our site – either on DVD or Blu-ray, or available via our On-Demand service. If a movie is missing from this list, chances are good it’s just out of print or otherwise currently unavailable/hard to access. This isn’t, as you’ll see, a definitive list of the greatest gay horror – that’s not what we were going for. This is just a sampling of some offerings that usually fly under the radar. Some are good, some are great, some are delightfully campy and ridiculous, some might be downright terrible, but they’re all available to help get your into the Halloween spirit!

Read More