Wanted by all but truly known by none, hustler and actor Karl Forest was France’s first gay porn superstar – but who was he really? American filmmaker Wallace Potts sought to answer that question with the truly stunning 1979 docu-fantasy portrait Le Beau Mec.
Mixing candid interviews with Forest and rare footage of his live show (choreographed by none other than Rudolf Nureyev) and highly stylized recreations of his past exploits courtesy of acclaimed cinematographers Francois About (Equation to an Unknown) and Academy Award winner Nestor Almendros (Days of Heaven), Le Beau Mec is a hauntingly beautiful portrait of gay self-creation.
Long available only through murky VHS transfers, this beloved classic of gay erotica has been newly restored in 4K from its original 16mm film elements.
In the special features included in this amazing new collector’s edition, cinematographer François About talks about Le Beau Mec with historian Hervé Joseph Lebrun. There’s also an interview with Tommy Potts, brother of filmmaker Wallace Potts, along with print materials, photo galleries, trailers and more.
Check out the artwork for the new edition of Le Beau Mec below and click here to pre-order your copy. The film will be available on DVD and Blu-ray at TLAgay starting November 12th.
