‘The Male Gaze’ series from NQV Media continues with new release ‘The Male Gaze: Breaking Dawn’. The five shorts across the collection explore stories about boys in difficult situations, fumbling their way through the best they can as they find out who they are. That theme runs throughout all of the films and is explored in many different ways. These aren’t your average coming-of-age tales.
French film-maker Laura Garcia opens the latest collection with the intense ‘Red Love’. Gaël (Gabriel Acremant) turns up at the door of his ex-lover Victor (Boris Sztulman) in the middle of the night. Spiralling after Victor left him for a woman, Gaël tries to rekindle their connection but finds himself out on the street in the middle of the night. That leads to an unexpected and life-changing encounter. Garcia captures the all-consuming feeling of infatuation and the difficulty young people can have accepting that someone doesn’t want to be with them. It’s a bold start to the shorts here and it will leave a lasting impression.
The next short takes us to Brazil for film-maker Diego Freitas’ ‘Flush’. Two students – one alpha male (Nicolas Prattes) and the other a trans-woman (João Côrtes) – find themselves locked inside a college bathroom overnight. With an instant dislike of one another, the two quickly lock into an argument but as the night progresses, they connect in a way that neither of them expected. ‘Flush’ is essentially about being confronted with something you fear or don’t understand, and how being forced to tackle it head on can bring surprising results. The film unpacks a lot in its 21-minute run-time, and it’s surprisingly emotional.
In ‘The Night Practice’ from Romanian film-maker Bogdan Alecsandru, the new goalkeeper on a youth soccer team faces bullying from his team-mates. He’s caught by surprise when one of the boys on the team starts to behave differently with him while they’re in private, and the two grow closer. This is the short I connected with the least. It takes a classic coming-of-age story and throws in a supernatural twist that I’m not convinced it needed. It’ll likely prove divisive for viewers and it unfortunately, didn’t win me over.
Jérémy Piette moves the action back to France for ‘The Blue Shelter’, where youngsters Arthur and Nassim are hanging out on the beach. Arthur confesses his feelings to Nassim but then finds his eye wandering to a handsome stranger lying on a rock. Wanting to explore further, Arthur finds himself lured in and there’s definitely an allegory about Sirens going on. It all goes a little bit too fantastical for my tastes but it’s a well-made short that has a pleasing visual flair.
The final film on this release is ‘Waking Up in Vegas’ from Michèle Flury, which is an exploration of childhood curiosity and sexual awakening. Yael is torn between his big brother and his gay best friend Aaron, at a time when he’s trying to figure out who he is. He pushes the boundaries with Aaron, without really thinking about the lasting impact that could have but finds himself trying to live up to his brother’s macho image. This is quite a sweet film with a nice air of innocence, observing a child coming-of-age but not trying to push any particular narrative.
‘The Male Gaze: Breaking Dawn’ certainly provides plenty of food for thought across its five shorts. Each has its own unique style and it showcases stories in a way that we rarely see presented. Even the shorts that didn’t really hit for me, are worthy of your time as the film-makers have crafted stories that should be seen. It may not be the strongest of ‘The Male Gaze’ series but it’s still very enjoyable fare.
Cast: Gabriel Acremant, Boris Sztulman, Nicolas Prattes, João Côrtes, Andrei Giurgea, Tiberius Zavelea, Paul Lemarchand, Anouar Kardellas, Ayhan Eranil, Finnigan Inan Directors: Laura Garcia, Diego Freitas, Bogdan Alecsandru, Jérémy Piette, Michèle Flury Certificate: 18 Duration: 97 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 9th June 2025 Buy ‘The Male Gaze: Breaking Dawn’ now
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