Trama

5 French/Spanish short films with gay or gender themes. On the Roof (2015) (original: En la azotea) Son (2012) (original: El hijo) Inside (2014) (original: Dentro) Tomboy (2007) (original: Même pas mort) Paradigma (2016)

When a boy becomes a young man, the way he sees the world can change not just his perceptions of those around him, but how others see him. As burgeoning desires come to the surface, there is the choice of either embracing and acting upon them, or burying them. In this selection of award-winning short films, we observe struggle and celebration through the eyes of boys not only becoming men, but becoming attracted to them.

ON THE ROOFTOP dir. Damiá Serra Cauchetiez (Spain): Adrian and his friends climb to the rooftop every afternoon to spy on a girl sunbathing naked, but this afternoon the boys realize one of them is more interested in watching a guy showering in another building. THE SON dir. Venci Kostov (Spain): A father worries over his 17 year old son Pedro, who runs with a vicious homophobic gang, attacking gatherings of gays even though he secretly has a boyfriend himself. INSIDE dir. Alexander Lemus Gadea (Spain): Juan easily attracts women to his bed, but it's becoming harder to ignore feelings long suppressed by the influence of a strong conservative father. TOMBOY dir. Claudine Natkin (France): Ten year old Chloe is one of the boys. She plays soccer and can't stand cry-babies or other girls, but she finds herself feeling threatened by the pretty blonde girl that joins her and her friends when they play their dangerous game. PARADIGMA dir. Valentino R. Sandoli (Spain): Guille is a gay teenager unable to admit to his best friend that he is in love with him, instead he seeks his identity through encounters with others.—Bill Davis