Touch & Go is the new instalment in NQV Media’s short film collection Upon Her Lips, continuing their anthology of lesbian shorts from around the world. This collection has gathered four diverse films from the UK, France and Denmark; take a look at each below.
SOME GIRLS (UK)
Starring: Beth Marie, Katy Reece, Kate Lassman Long
Director: Cait Lyn Adamson
At a high school somewhere in England, Mina is reserved, self-conscious but also desperately in love her friend Lana. The latter is bold, brash and rebellious, smoking and drinking and encouraging Mina to have sex with boys. One side of their friendship is teenagers finding themselves, but the other is unbridled unrequited love; so which will come out on top? A sensual and nuanced short observed mostly in close-up, this is a measured film that captures the bittersweet longing of a first crush adeptly, but it could do with getting its skates on a bit...
FLAPPER (France)
Starring: Rebecca Marder, Morgane Lambert, Aurelie Lemanceau, Noémie Lambert
Director: Nicolas Sarkissian
In 1920s France, studious seventeen year-old Lisa slips away from her middle-class family for a day basking in the sun at the nearby lake. She is not alone on the lakeshore and as she goes for a swim, she embarks on a fantastical voyage of self-discovery in the water. A sensual and erotic short, this is all about the visuals as she plunges beneath the surface of both the water and herself. With stunning cinematography and a striking eye for period detail, it looks fantastic but never really manages to go anywhere.
RANIYA (Denmark)
Starring: Shelly Levy, Maja Clementsen Hansen, Trine Godt Hansen, Annika Witt
Director: Sidsel Møller Johnsen
Raniya lives with her sister Nadia, who is very demanding of her time and attention. As Raniya tries to engage in a secret flirtation with Julia, her sister becomes increasingly suspicious and irrational as she realises that Raniya is hiding something from her. A film about the contradiction of being truthful to oneself but not to those around you, this is a strong character piece with an adorable central character. And though Nadia is the villain of the piece, she is rounded enough for us to see around her erratic behaviour.
THE GUITAR LESSON (France)
Starring: Nolwenn Bony, Mara Taquin
Director: Guillaume Lijour
Teenage Lucile is in a music shop when she encounters the charismatic Mona, whom she sees is giving guitar lessons. Employing her services, she relishes the time they spend together and thrives off their wild differences; where Lucile is poised and measured, Mona is free-spirited and expressive. Her obsession turns to musical talent as their lessons continue, but it’s only a matter of time before her secret desire is exposed. A film about teenagehood, when educational prowess occurs alongside burgeoning sexuality, this is sweet, warm and innocuous.
This collection of shorts is a well-curated compilation of European stories, which all focus on teenage self-discovery and desire. A clutch of coming-of-age titbits, they prove that discovering your sexuality really can be “touch and go”. But with the exception of a few cross words, it’s refreshing to see largely positive depictions of young experiences with sexuality. Youthful, nuanced but fizzing with curiosity, this is a fantastic new instalment in the Under Her Lips series.
UK Release: 12th June 2023 on VOD, released by NQV Media