The Italian Boys is the new short film collection from NQV Media. With five diverse films from across Italy, we see two boys dream of escaping their island town to go on an adventure on the mainland, a son and his lover fight to escape the clutches of an overbearing father, and a priest is shocked when some local students plan to put on a homoerotic rendition of the miracle of Lazarus... Immerse yourself in Italian culture, humor and lush landscapes in these beautiful films from Italy.
UPROAR
Starring: Rocco Fasano, Alessandro Marverti, Andrea Orano, Manuel Rulli
Director: Ludovico di Martino
In 1975, world-renowned gay filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini was murdered on a beach near Rome. Though no official verdict has ever been passed on what exactly happened to him, this short film joins the dots, following a handsome young petty criminal who agrees to become the bait to lure the director into a secluded spot. Focusing on the boy and the relationship with his best friend, this is a slick and stylish period piece, sun-drenched and beautifully 70s, but with all the hall-marks of a tense thriller as the plot unfolds around him. A fascinating slice of cinema history, this is a remarkable short film.
TIDAL TIME
Starring: Fabrizio Ferracane, Antonio De Franco, Vincenzo Marco Desario
Director: Dario di Viesto
A father rescues his young son during a late night boating accident, desperate to save his life. Ten years later, when he discovers that the same son is gay, he has lost his desire to save him, convinced that he should be punished for his sexuality. A striking movie about how Christian supposed “morals” can overpower even the deepest of loves, this is a tragic story about a father’s rejection when we have just seen how far he would go to save him before he knew he was gay.
THE DUMMY
Starring: Alessandro Berti, Sara Carbone, Gregorio De Paola
Director: Renato Muro
In the Roman suburbs, a young boy comes across an abandoned mannequin. He becomes fascinated with it, opening up a new world in his mind, sparking the earliest blossoms of a personal awakening. Adeptly capturing sexuality in one so young without ever becoming gratuitous, this is a nuanced piece about exploration and conscious thought. With its character wholly silent, this is a subtle film that packs a punch.
LAZARUS COME OUT
Starring: Fabrizio Colica, Alla Krasovitzkaya, Davide Lipari, Sara Serraiocco, Enrico Vandini
Director: Lorenzo Caproni
Don Valter is a middle-aged priest who lives a very traditional life. When staging a play for a religious festival, he agrees to let a young student write and direct it, producing an avant-garde version of the life of Lazarus. Charming and handsome, the young man has lit a spark in the priest that forces him to confront his refusal to accept modernity. A fascinating look at 21st century Italy, where Catholicism must live alongside its liberal youth, this examines the Church’s relationship with homosexuality without ever being inflammatory. With vividly fleshed characters, this is a fun and effervescent short with a lot to say.
GLUE
Starring: Giuseppe Orsillo, Domenico Nappa, Loredana Simioli, Sara Carbone
Director: Renato Muro
On the island of Procida, teenage rebel Dominico’s relationship is coming to an end. Finding himself alone with his best friend’s brother, they wander the streets together and find themselves at the house of a trans woman who insists the pair stay late into the night. As the night wears on, so the two boys’ relationship deepens too. A movie about rebellion, the island is Dominico’s cage that he feels he has to escape, finding allies where he can in its hostility. His cryptic voiceover gives clues toward his fragmented mind, but it’s the beautiful connection he forges through his fog that makes this such a compelling short film.
OUT ON 19TH OCTOBER 2020 ON DEMAND, RELEASED BY NQV MEDIA.