2024 is underway and NQV Media is kicking off the new year with the release of the next instalment in its popular ‘The Male Gaze’ series. This collection, titled ‘The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal’, pulls together five shorts from France, Chile and Greece that find adolescents coming-of-age and men, putting themselves in risky situations and pushing the boundaries of their comfort zones.
French filmmaker Jean-Sébastien Chauvin’s short ‘A King, Gazing at the Sea’ explores voyeurism and the rush that fantasy can bring. Paul (Loic Djani) happens upon an attractive muscular man (Lefteris Polychronis) exercising in his swimming trunks down by the sea at a Mediterranean resort. Finding more and more reasons to observe the man, Paul allows himself to go down a path of obsession that leads to his sexual fantasies playing out in his mind. The film explores the power that desire can have on a person who isn’t necessarily able to act on it, and the way it can take over your life if you allow yourself to get carried away.
The second short is ‘A Drowning Man’ from filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel. This one centres on a young man known only as The Kid (Atef Alshafei), a Palestinian immigrant in Greece who is prepared to do whatever it takes to make a life for himself. That means he allows himself to fall to predators in a bid to make money and the portrayal we see of his life is bleak, but somehow The Kid never gives up. Given that the international refugee crisis is in the headlines at the moment, this short feels very relevant and gives a voice to a character that is otherwise demonised in the media and very often misunderstood.
Mauricio Corco Espinoza’s ‘Reo’ follows and there’s more of an air of mystery to this film. Manuel (Roberto Carera) is released from prison after serving time for an undisclosed crime. Determined to reconnect with his only daughter, Manuel connects with Nico (Eduardo Silva), a young man who works as a hustler for older men. The two form an unlikely bond, which helps them both during a bleak and difficult time in their lives. ‘Reo’ doesn’t spell everything out for the viewer and it’s one of the more thought-provoking moments on this collection.
‘Summer Friends’ from Maxime Hermet is the penultimate film on this release and it’s a classic tale of two young friends who are coming to terms with who they are. Tom (Tim Rousseau) and Ellis (Jean Aviat) meet Lucie (Syrine Conesa) during their summer fishing by the sea. The two boys enter into an unstated competition for Lucie’s affections, but secretly one of them is holding a torch for the other. This is my favourite film here as it perfectly captures the confusion that realising your sexuality entails and the jealousy that so easily pops up when you’re young and inexperienced.
‘Risk Appeal’ closes with ‘Summer Memories’ by French film-maker Benoît Bouthors. Marie (Lena Costa), Lucas (Louis Memmi) and Ghujvan (Nicolas Luciani) make a plan to steal the wallet of a tourist who they spot sleeping not far from them. As they hatch their plan, the trio misunderstands their target who is far more interested in Lucas than Marie, who it is suggested should flirt with him so they can distract him and steal his wallet. The realisation that the man might not be straight, throws the group for a loop.
‘The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal’ remains my favourite strand from NQV and these five films are all thought-provoking and engaging. It’s interesting to see the gay perspective from so many different angles and cultures, and this collection has a nice cohesive thread that runs through it. It’s a strong start to the year for NQV Media and I look forward to what else they have coming up.
Cast: Loic Djani, Lefteris Polychronis, Atef Alshafei, Jalal Qaniry, Thymios Koukios​, Roberto Carera, Eduardo Silva, Jean Aviat, Tim Rousseau, Syrine Conesa, Lena Costa, Nicolas Luciani, Louis Memmi, Clément Vieu Directors: Jean-Sébastien Chauvin, Mahdi Fleifel, Mauricio Corco Espinoza, Maxime Hermet, Benoît Bouthors Certificate: 18 Duration: 98 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 8th January 2024 Buy ‘The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal’ now
This article contains an affiliate link. Purchases through this link may result in us earning a commission.
