NQV Media’s ‘The Male Gaze’ strand is back with a new collection, ‘A Better Tomorrow’. Bringing together five shorts from around the world, the latest instalment looks at the lives of different gay men who have obstacles to overcome on their journey to acceptance. Either facing conflict from within or external pressures, these men are all on different life paths with the common theme of sexuality holding them back. Across the five films, the viewer visits Mexico, Spain, Austria, China and Greece.
‘A Better Tomorrow’ opens with ‘If They Knew’ from director Aitor Gametxo and tells the story of Martin (Iñigo Aranburu), a man who cruises by night and looks after his son by day. Martin’s penchant for cruising hits an unexpected bump when he finds himself falling for a young actor while working at a recording studio. The two men enter into a sexual relationship but Martin isn’t able to connect that part of his life with his responsibilities as a father. Gametxo explores shame and fear in this short, as Martin battles between wanting to be true to himself and not wanting to let his son down.
Second film ‘Xutaj’, from Mexican director Jonathan Anzo, is the highlight of the collection and it hits closer to home than some of the films here thanks to its pandemic setting. Xutaj (Luis Vegas) is caught in bed with his boyfriend by his overbearing father (Guillermo Nava). Under strict orders to cut all ties with his boyfriend during the pandemic, under the guise of not putting the family at risk from catching the virus, Xutaj turns to his imagination to find the strength to tackle his father. Anzo packs a lot into 20-minutes and there’s much more to Xutaj’s father than simply a man who can’t accept his son’s sexuality.
The bond between father and son is tested again in third short ‘Bloom and Bloom’ from director Stefan Langthaler. A father (Simon Schwarz) and his son (Nils Hohenhövel) set out on a hike in the Austrian Alps and with only each other for company, they soon start to have deeply personal conversations of the like they’ve never had before. With grievances on both sides that have never been aired, and a lack of understanding about one another, the two men are forced to talk through their issues, which leads them to a surprising new understanding.
Dimitris Asproloupos’ ‘Sexual Distancing’ is the second pandemic-set short on this release. It focuses Kostas (Thodoris Vrachas) and Andonis (Jeo Pakitsas) who spend their days on hook-up apps and exploring hobbies while unable to leave the house for anything other than exercise. The two begin to speak more frequently and they begin to realise that if things were different, maybe they could be more to each other than just company over the Internet. This one is quite sweet and it captures the frustration of the pandemic pretty well.
The final film on the collection is the unexpectedly sweet ‘And We Collide’ from director Dongni Lanca Li. An unexpected romance begins between an aspiring astronaut and a village farm boy on the island of Hainan. Despite initial indifference, the two men are drawn together and quickly become important to one another. It’s an exploration of how sometimes circumstance can create the most wonderful opportunity.
‘The Male Gaze – A Better Tomorrow’ is a very strong entry in the series. All five of the shorts offers something different and these are all engaging and interesting stories. Often the gay experience is regurgitated in a similar formula but ‘The Male Gaze’ always manages to unearth fresh perspectives and innovative film-makers. If you’ve loved the series so far, you’ll want to watch this one!
Cast: Iñigo Aranburu, Guillermo Nava, Luis Vegas, Simon Schwarz, Nils Hohenhövel, Jeo Pakitsas, Thodoris Vrachas, Huang Kejing, Wang Yancheng Directors: Aitor Gametxo, Jonathan Anzo, Stefan Langthaler, Dimitris Asproloupos, Dongni Lanca Li Writers: Various Certificate: 15 Duration: 95 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 23rd October 2023
