The Male Gaze: French Connection

A love left unsaid on the football field, a third invite to a high-rise tête-à-tête, a fast-approaching farewell and a friendship that evolves into something complicated. Lose yourself in these five stories from France that are handled with grace, maturity and a tender touch. The 5 short films are: 9th Floor to the Right [9ème étage droite] (2022); Hugo: 6:30 [Hugo : 18h30] (2020); Cary & James (2023); For the Love of the Game [Pour l'amour du jeu] (2023); Youssou & Malek [Youssou et Malek] (2022).

Youssou & Malek

On a sprawling urban suburbia during a sweltering summer, two young boys in love are at an impasse. Youssou has an opportunity to study abroad with a prestigious scholarship, while his boyfriend Malek advances in his art degree at a local school. As the pair wrestle with these destinies that are pulling them apart, their friends attempt to untangle the ambitions of these star-crossed lovers, all while tensions rise with the police who patrol the neighbourhood.

In the Basement of Apollo Hall

"In the Basement of Apollo Hall" delves into the greatest and most significant question for a composer: What is music, and why does it exist? Attempting an answer Appelqvist draws upon the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's theories about art, where the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus are used to describe humanity's inherent conflict between order and chaos, a tension that also plays out within the music.