The Harvesters

 by tlagay

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!

 

Not Knowing
Umut (Emir Ozden) is a young water polo player – a gentle and quiet high school senior just trying to live his life in a complicated world. When a fellow player spreads a rumor that he is gay, Umut displays maturity beyond his years. He doesn’t deny the allegation – refusing to apologize or explain himself. His parents, distracted by their own marital problems, prove powerless to stem any fallout as his time at school becomes more and more fraught… until events reach a shocking head. Set in the high testosterone world of teen sports – and a sometimes suffocating Turkish society – Not Knowing is a thoughtful and touching coming-of-age drama that holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay in so much of the world today.

 

You’ll Never Be Alone
After his gay teenage son (Andrew Bargsted) starts secretly cross-dressing and becomes the victim of a violent homophobic attack, Juan (Sergio Hernandez), a withdrawn manager at a mannequin factory, struggles between paying his son’s exorbitant medical bills and his last attempt at becoming partners with his boss. As he runs into dead-ends and unexpected betrayals, he’ll discover his own form of violence. Juan feels he’s made too many mistakes, but his son can still be saved. With You’ll Never Be Alone, writer-director Alex Anwandter combines atmospheric style and unnerving realism to craft a powerful, courageous and socially-conscious debut which reflects on the values of human freedom and justice.

 

The Harvesters
In this stirring debut, Greek-African filmmaker Etienne Kallos explores repressed sexuality, religion and masculinity in the deep South African countryside. Two teenage boys start a dangerous fight for power, heritage and parental love that will change both of their lives forever. Religion and field work are the guiding principles of their conservative farming community, where strength and masculinity are valued above all else. In this repressive environment, young Janno (Brent Vermeulen) keeps his feelings to himself. One day his mother brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to treat this stranger as his new brother. The trouble is: Pieter does not want to be saved.

 

Nowhere
Adrian and Sebastian (Miguel González and Juan Pablo Castiblanco) live an openly gay life in New York as immigrants. When Sebastian’s visa is rejected, the two must decide whether to return to Colombia – where they face rejection and persecution for their sexual orientation – or do whatever is necessary to stay in the United States. Either way, the thoughts and discussions associated with the decision will have a profound effect on the couple. Hitting upon hot button issues, Nowhere is a riveting new romantic drama that places its characters within the context of a difficult immigration situation – as well as a furthering sense of homelessness and lack of belonging, which consistently haunts our main protagonists.

 

A Wake
Young actor Noah Urrea pulls double duty in this emotional drama, playing twin boys from a religious family. A Wake revolves around the funeral of Mitchel, a teen who died far too young. Everyone is reeling from the loss, but there is a generational divide when it comes to how the younger and older family members deal with grief. While the parents cling to normalcy, the children grow tired of repressing the truth about their late brother. When an unexpected stranger (Kolton Stewart) arrives on the scene, everyone in the family must suddenly face the secrets and lies that have surrounded Mitchel’s life – as well as his untimely death. Don’t miss this powerful new film from director Scott Boswell (The Stranger in Us).

in Gay Cinema / Image Galleries / News
 by tlagay

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!

 

Wild Tigers I Have Known
Visionary director Cam Archer portrays the lives of teens in awkward gay love. Originally released in 2006, Wild Tigers I Have Known was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and LGBTQ film festivals around the globe. The film follows Logan (Malcolm Stumpf), a middle schooler who is crushing on an older classmate named Rodeo (Patrick White). As the pair spend time together, Logan’s infatuation grows. Exploring gender fluidity for the first time, he invents a female persona and starts making sexually provocative phone calls to Rodeo at night, hoping to get even closer to the object of his affection. For the film’s 15th Anniversary, Altered Innocence has put together a restored version of this experimental queer classic.

 

One in a Thousand
In the northern Argentine social housing neighborhood known as “One Thousand,” seventeen-year-old Iris (Sofia Cabrera) wanders the estate day and night in the summer heat, trying to stave off boredom by shooting hoops, hanging out with other teens in the project and fending off the unwanted advances of the horny boys. She’s aware that her sexually experienced gay cousins Dario and Ale (Mauricio Vila and Luis Molina) are sleeping with many of the neighborhood boys on the down low, but it’s not until she meets the mysterious Renta (Ana Carolina Garcia) that Iris feels the stirring of her own sexual awakening. One in a Thousand is a touching new indie film that captures a tender love story set in a hostile environment.

 

A Little Lust
Rocco (Andrea Amato) has two aims in life: to finally get laid and to see his favorite pop star in concert with his best friends. When a bullying incident at school forces Rocco to come out of the closet to his middle-class Italian parents, their liberal leanings are severely tested. Luckily, his friends stand by him and latch on to an impulsive plan to run away from home. The three buds are planning to go see their favorite singer in concert. They don’t realize, though, that they’re being followed by Rocco’s neurotic mother and his eccentric grandma – to hilarious effect. A vibrant and funny Italian family comedy, A Little Lust is both immersive and heartwarming – plus there’s a sweet, romantic twist you won’t want to miss.

 

The Harvesters
In this stirring debut, Greek-African filmmaker Etienne Kallos explores repressed sexuality, religion and masculinity in the deep South African countryside. Two teenage boys start a dangerous fight for power, heritage and parental love that will change both of their lives forever. Religion and field work are the guiding principles of their conservative farming community, where strength and masculinity are valued above all else. In this repressive environment, young Janno (Brent Vermeulen) keeps his feelings to himself. One day his mother brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to treat this stranger as his new brother. The trouble is: Pieter does not want to be saved.

 

Fair Haven
After a long stay in ex-gay conversion therapy, James (Michael Grant), a young piano prodigy, returns home to his family farm and his emotionally distant father Richard (Tom Wopat). After Richard pressures James to give up his music career and take over the farm, James agrees as a way to make up for his past. Soon, however, he finds himself face-to-face with his former lover Charlie (Josh Green), who wants to help him turn away from his new beliefs and follow his dreams. A touching, deeply romantic drama, Fair Haven is often heartbreaking, but ultimately life-affirming – and the performances, across the board, are terrific. Young up-and-comers Green and Grant make their forbidden love palpable (and very sweet).

 

 

in Gay Cinema / Image Galleries
 by tlagay

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!

 

Nowhere
Adrian and Sebastian (Miguel González and Juan Pablo Castiblanco) live an openly gay life in New York as immigrants. When Sebastian’s visa is rejected, the two must decide whether to return to Colombia – where they face rejection and persecution for their sexual orientation – or do whatever is necessary to stay in the United States. Either way, the thoughts and discussions associated with the decision will have a profound effect on the couple. Hitting upon hot button issues, Nowhere is a riveting new romantic drama that places its characters within the context of the difficult immigration situation in the US – as well as a furthering sense of homelessness and lack of belonging, which consistently haunts out main protagonists.

 

The Harvesters
In this stirring debut, Greek-African filmmaker Etienne Kallos explores repressed sexuality, religion and masculinity in the deep South African countryside. Two teenage boys start a dangerous fight for power, heritage and parental love that will change both of their lives forever. Religion and field work are the guiding principles of their conservative farming community, where strength and masculinity are valued above all else. In this repressive environment, young Janno (Brent Vermeulen) keeps his feelings to himself. One day his mother brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to treat this stranger as his new brother. The trouble is: Pieter does not want to be saved.

 

Greta
70-year-old nurse Pedro (Marco Nanini) needs to find a hospital bed for his friend Daniela (Denise Weinberg). In an effort to free up space, he secretly takes a wounded young man (Demick Lopes) into his home. In spite of the young man’s troubled past, a tender, physical relationship develops between the caring Pedro, and Jean, his convalescent houseguest. Though Jean refers to him as “my old cocksucker,” the young man’s true intentions are hard to discern. This affectionate and dignified cinematic debut tells a tale of friendship, love, sex and age. Surrounded as he is by sickness, death and other disasters on a daily basis, Pedro is possessed of the kind of strength of character that means he is not easily fazed. Not even when he makes a surprising discovery about his new, much younger lover.

 

You’ll Never Be Alone
Introverted Juan (Sergio Hernández), manager of a mannequin factory, lives alone with his eighteen-year-old gay son, Pablo (Andrew Bargsted). Whilst Pablo blithely studies dance, Juan is hoping that, after twenty-five years at the firm, his boss will consider him for a partnership. When Pablo is badly wounded in a brutal homophobic attack, which sees him hospitalized, his father realizes just how far they have become estranged. A lack of witnesses and expensive medical bills force Juan to leave the quiet stability of his life for good and reposition himself in a world where there is discrimination. Time and again, his efforts amount to nothing… until one night on the streets of Santiago when he decides to start making up his own rules in order to save his son.

 

Malila: The Farewell Flower
Former lovers Shane and Pitch (Sukollawat Kanarot and Anuchit Sapanpong) reunite after years apart and try to heal the wounds of their past. Shane is haunted by the tragic death of his daughter, while Pitch suffers a grave illness, rejecting medical treatment as painful and ineffective. A talented artist, Pitch creates beautiful structures made out of flowers and banana leaves as a way to cope with his deteriorating health. Meanwhile, Shane trains to become a Buddhist monk, in an effort to build karma for Pitch… to either keep him alive or to help him along in his afterlife. A remarkably beautiful, spiritual film from Thai director Anucha Boonyawatana (the same director behind the films The Blue Hour and Down the River), Malila: The Farewell Flower is as close to transcendent as cinema gets.

in Gay Cinema / Image Galleries
 by tlagay

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!

 

Rapture in Blue
Like a David Lynch thriller filmed through a queer lens, writer-director Ryder Houston‘s Rapture in Blue follows a young man’s quest through flickering neon and hazy shadows to find his true self. After Jason (Bryce Lederer) tries to use his childhood home for a steamy rendezvous with his girlfriend, they discover it’s been newly occupied by the smoldering Sebastian (Tanner Garmon), who eagerly warms up to anxious Jason. Wracked with desires he’s long ignored while also being pressured by his girlfriend’s sensual advances, a growing sense of unease and dread permeates his life. After receiving an “impossible” photo of him embracing Sebastian, Jason realizes he needs to confront the madness consuming him from all sides.

 

The Harvesters
In this stirring debut, Greek-African filmmaker Etienne Kallos explores repressed sexuality, religion and masculinity in the deep South African countryside. Two teenage boys start a dangerous fight for power, heritage and parental love that will change both of their lives forever. Religion and field work are the guiding principles of their conservative farming community, where strength and masculinity are valued above all else. In this repressive environment, young Janno (Brent Vermeulen) keeps his feelings to himself. One day his mother brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to treat this stranger as his new brother. The trouble is: Pieter does not want to be saved.

 

Godless
After the death of their father, Nate (Craig Jordan) moves in with his mother, but his elder brother, Steven (Michael E. Pitts) continues his studies out of state. The brothers use this distance to end the incestuous physical affair they’ve shared since puberty. However, when their mother dies in a car accident, Steven returns for her funeral. During this time of mourning, the two brothers’ unrelenting love for each other threatens the secret they had buried. Nathaniel Grey for Frontiers Media said, “What carries this film is that through the chemistry and performances of Jordan and Pitts, you want to know more about them. You wonder how have they retained their sanity and composure over the years while holding strong to their forbidden but shared love.” He goes on to say, “…the film provides a great opportunity to experience a rarely offered and controversial topic.”

 

We Are Three
Nacho (Carlos Etchevers) is an accountant, a seemingly average guy. At a party he meets Ana (Flor Dragonetti), an attractive and self-confident, recently divorced young woman. As the pair are getting to know one another, they also meet an exceedingly charismatic bartender named Sebastian (Juan Manuel Martino), who starts flirting with both of them. Despite their doubts, Nacho and Ana accept Sebastian’s invitation to spend the night at his place. Initially, nothing happens (nothing sexual or overtly romantic, at least). A few days later, they decide to go on a weekend trip to a secluded farm. There, it seems like things will evolve – possibly leading to a a fun and fleeting one-night stand… until Sebastian confesses that he desires a long-term relationship with a man and a woman together. Featuring casual, committed, naturalistic performances, this unique indie film from Argentinian writer-director Marcelo Briem Stamm takes a sexy and provocative look at a modern three-person courtship.

 

The Lawyer
Life just drifts by for corporate lawyer Marius (Eimutis Kvosciauskas)… until he finds an unexpected connection with the dark and handsome Ali (Dogac Yildiz), an incredibly attractive young Syrian refugee who makes his living as a sex-cam worker. After Marius’s estranged father passes away, his infatuation intensifies. It isn’t long before he’s completely obsessed. He inevitably flies to Belgrade to meet Ali with in person, in hopes of a romantic week with his sexy Arab prince. Although, off-camera, things might not be exactly as they seemed. An intense romantic drama, The Lawyer is the newest film from prolific filmmaker Romas Zabarauskas, the same writer-director behind Porno Melodrama and You Can’t Escape Lithuania.

in Gay Cinema / Image Galleries
 by tlagay

Now Available On-Demand: The Harvesters

In a conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno (Brent Vermeulen) is different – secretive, emotionally frail and desperate to stifle his budding sexuality. One day his mother, fiercely religious, brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to makes this stranger into his brother. The two boys start a fight for power, heritage and parental love.

An official selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard, writer-director Etienne Kallos‘ debut feature film explores teenage angst, sexual awakening and family dynamics set against a harsh yet stunning South African backdrop.

Read More›
in Gay Cinema / News / Trailers
 by tlagay

Writer-director Etienne Kallos talks about the intense new drama The Harvesters

South Africa, Free State region, isolated stronghold to the Afrikaans white ethnic minority culture. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno (Brent Vermeulen) is different, secretive, emotionally frail. One day his mother, fiercely religious, brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to makes this stranger into his brother. The two boys start a fight for power, heritage and parental love. An official selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard, Etienne Kallos‘ debut feature film The Harvesters explores teenage angst, sexual awakening and family dynamics set against a harsh yet stunning South African backdrop.

Could you tell us a little about your background prior to this feature debut?

I am a Greek-South African from Cape Town and my first love was theatre. I did my Bachelors in play-writing and stage design. This is where I met a mentor who changed my path: the Afrikaans playwright Reza de Wet. She wrote in Afrikaans, the language of Afrikaners, the descendants of the first Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries.

‘Afrikaner’ is the old Dutch word for ‘African’. Reza is probably the most translated Afrikaans playwright in the world. I first attended her class when I was 17 years old. Her plays showed me new ways to explore the South African experience, especially in the post-colonial era. Her work isn’t political, but rather mythological, some might say it’s gothic. She’s the one who first told me about the eastern Free State, the region where The Harvesters was born as a project. We shot between Free State and KwaZulu Natal, the bordering region which is the only one to have funded the film.

Read More›
in Gay Cinema / Interview / News / Trailers
 by tlagay

Trailer Alert: The Harvesters

In a conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno (Brent Vermeulen) is different – secretive, emotionally frail and desperate to stifle his budding sexuality. One day his mother, fiercely religious, brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk), a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to makes this stranger into his brother. The two boys start a fight for power, heritage and parental love.

An official selection of Cannes Un Certain Regard, writer-director Etienne Kallos‘ debut feature film explores teenage angst, sexual awakening and family dynamics set against a harsh yet stunning South African backdrop.

Read More›
in Gay Cinema / News / Trailers