Bounty Films have announced two documentary additions to their Queer Culture Cinema series, the 2009 Scandinavian All Boys and the 2008 French Canadian Men for Sale.
All Boys (Poikien bisnes)
Czech actors and sites like BelAmi have risen to iconic status in the world of gay erotica, and filmmaker Markku Heikkinen chronicles how cultural events like the Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall cleared the way for the gay porn industry's ascent. While the young men who populate the films and photo shoots of such productions carry an air of sexual liberation, the dark truth is that many of the actors are troubled youths without viable career choices. Through beautiful cinematography, the film draws poetic parallels between the loneliness of the creators and consumers of adult film.
Yet, the often dark subject matter of All Boys is countered by the interviewee's genuine longing for love and human connection. Scenes with one man who managed to move on from acting in gay porn to a seemingly traditional family life suggest that those involved in the industry can escape the perils of drugs and prostitution.
All Boys will be released on UK DVD on 23rd May 2011 by Bounty Films at the RRP of £15.32. The disc will include four bonus documentaries:
- Love and Lust
- Public Service
- Porn Filmmakers in Berlin
- Porn Pioneer in Poland
Men for Sale (Hommes à louer)
Men for Sale provides a mesmerising look into the lives of 11 men – most of them in their early 20s – as they attempt to explain how they all arrived at the same profession. With a humanistic eye the film uncovers the vulnerabilities of its subjects as they struggle to affirm their masculinity and make sense of their conflicting sexual practices. Some of them envision themselves escaping the sex trade industry, while others feel like prisoners in a vicious cycle of drug use and prostitution.
By artfully weaving together intimate confessionals and scenes of Montreal's nighttime cityscape, filmmaker Rodrigue Jean creates a dreamlike vision of a rarely-glimpsed world – one that often goes unnoticed even when in plain sight. The film, which was co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada, covers a difficult subject matter, but Jean handles it with a sensitivity that reveals the human side of those involved and their urgent need for the public's attention.
Men for Sale will be released on UK DVD on 23rd May 2011 by Bounty Films at the RRP of £15.32. The only listed extra is a trailer. |