CN: Thematization of suicide; films in this program work with light effects that can trigger photosensitive people.
A brief vibration in one's pocket reassures, waiting for it causes unease; why aren't you answering, babes? We strive for affection, understanding and intimacy, also online. There, no-one gives us stupid looks when we're together, nor do we have to whisper. But not everything can remain hidden behind the screen; what remains is a demand for arms we are free to fall in. This program merges fragments of queer intimacies, digital and real. It seeks solidarity and the construction of collective safety networks. (Matti Ullrich)
A unique slideshow, documenting two long-haired trans men falling madly in love. Over the course of one year, the artist couple Samira Elagoz & Z Walsh gathered photographs from real-life events such as their first kiss, meeting each other's parents, long-distance thirst traps, a beach wedding, top surgery, and its subsequent recovery. A sweet and steamy celebration of T4T love with life and art all tangled up.
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Nominated:
Goldener Key
- Director: Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh
A young man drives aimlessly searching for someone to spend the night with, carrying with him the fires and smoke of past summers. But he is not alone; from his bedroom window, he can see a tree, the only witness to his wandering.
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- Director: Achille Bocquier
A broken phone and the digital memory of a broken relationship. Both fragile, both recomposed to reveal the fragments of a first love that seems to fade away. Through the careful manipulation of discarnate metal components and the director's warm look on a found intimate archive, a parallel movement of lingering and resistance to the ephemeral. A playful reflection on what remains.
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Nominated:
A38-Production Grant Kassel-Halle
- Director: Felipe Casanova
He pays him a visit in Frankfurt during his work trip in Europe. He talks about their time in Beijing, back in 2015. He listens and, sometimes, answers, unblurring those seemingly important details, which do not matter any longer. Worn-out joy and fresh weariness. This could be the last time they see each other.
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Berlin queer community members mourn the loss of their dead friends due to substance abuse and the mental health crisis (and the loss of urban safe spaces in general) by sharing personal materials, stories, and honest criticism about the club/nightlife scene. Resembling glow-in-the-dark fungi, they transform dead bodies and memories into a collective structure that sustains future living - radiating the light together as a network of support and care.
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Nominated:
Goldener Key
- Director: Sarnt Utamachote
