Stories Coming Out for the First Time: 8 Bittersweet Short Stories of Courage and Growth
Everyone’s coming out story is unique. For some, it’s as simple as a quick chat with family. For others, it feels like climbing a mountain barefoot. And while some stories may be cocoa-like bitter, they can transform into sweet chocolates when shared. Here are a few first-time coming out experiences: “I was 19.It was a…
Stories The Transformative Journey of My Coming Out Story
DisclaimerExclamation marks represent personal stories within question marks. Alternatively, I could’ve called them “Stories that made us or broke us.” This tale unfolds years ago in a small village in northern Greece. I’ll do my best to stay true to the original and share everything I remember. Let’s start with a cute oneComing out can…
Stories From sadness to hope: my true coming out story
I was deep in sleep when my mum gently woke me up. Tears streamed down her face, and she looked bewildered. “Come to the living room, please. I don’t want to wake your brother.” There’s never a perfect moment for someone to discover you’re LGBT. And there’s no completely wrong time, either. People are seldom…
Review Sex (Norwegian)
In this film aptly named ‘Sex’, the narrative takes place in contemporary urban Norway. With some clever wordplay, it pushes back against traditional ideas of masculinity and societal expectations, no matter if the characters see themselves as straight or gay. Honestly, I think this film would’ve worked better as a stage play. It’s loaded with…
Review The Paradise of Thorns
Honestly, I had zero expectations for the film since I didn’t know much about it. Given the landscape of Asian, especially Thai, BL series, I try to keep my hopes in check. Thankfully, this film turned out to be a delightful surprise. It tackles a topic that many films shy away from: What exactly are…
Review Maschile Plurale (Italian) [Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake]
This film is the follow-up to 2021’s Mascarpone, which I really enjoyed, so my expectations for the sequel were quite high. To recap, in the original, Antonio breaks up with his husband and moves in with a sex worker named Denis. Denis helps him land a job as an apprentice baker with Luca, leading to…
Review Transgender people with autism suffer poor healthcare and high rates of self-harm
The initial extensive investigation into the experiences of transgender individuals on the autism spectrum reveals that they tend to face persistent mental and physical health issues, with notably high instances of self-harming behaviors, as indicated by findings from the Autism Research Center at Cambridge University. According to the researchers, these individuals also indicate that the…
Short Films I AM A SPY: Sofia (ASMR) by Alexander Roman
I AM A SPY: Sofia (2022) 47 min | ASMR Thriller, Thriller | 05 December 2022Fallon still in hiding from MI6. One day Alina gives Fallon an assignment to uncover hidden clues, codes, and messages left behind in a box dating back as far as World War 2. Something from the past is waiting to…
Review Let’s Eat Together, Aki and Haru: More Please (Japanese)
So, the sequel to the original movie about Aki and Haru, which had everyone buzzing with excitement, is finally here. I was really hoping that after exploring friendship in the first film, this one would dive deeper into the blossoming romance and the feelings these two boys have for each other. But, man, it happens…
Review The On1y One (Taiwanese Series)
I’ve got really mixed emotions about this series. I get the art of subtlety and letting things unfold slowly, but I expected a bit more from a Taiwanese production. If it had been a Chinese show, I’d understand the legal constraints, but let’s be real—Taiwan has produced more straightforward BL series. Here, almost everything is…
Short Films The Unknown Man (L’homme inconnu) (2021): A Gay Tale of Obsession and Artistic Desperation
23 min | Drama, Short film | 16 October 20216.9Rating: 6.9/10 from 74 usersFlemish writer Louis travels to Côte d’Azur, hoping the resplendent isolation will bring him the inspiration he needs to overcome his writer’s block.Director: Anthony SchattemanWriter: Anthony SchattemanCountry: Belgium, FranceGenre: Drama, Short filmLanguage: Dutch, FrenchDuration: 23 min Please jump to youtube to watch: Stars: Anna Sacuto, Cathy Ruiz, Geert Van Rampelberg, Ilja Van Autreve, Samuel SuchodFlemish writer…