The Male Gaze: Bitter Sweet

The Male Gaze: Bitter Sweet

2024 · 117 min · Drama

Take a trip on the wild side with these six daring short films from Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, Spain and France that uncover the power of nature and mysticism, family ties that bond yet suffocate, the vagaries of same sex attraction, the pain of memory, the thrill of what's to come. The 6 short films are: Memory of An Afternoon On the Roof [Recuerdo de una tarde en la azotea] (2022); Afternoon Sun [À Tarde, Sob o Sol] (2020); Sweet Water [Água Doce] (2023); Cor Petit (2023); Haiku (2022); The Boy Who Wanted to Fly [El niño que quería volar] (2018).

Directed by Gonçalo Pina

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The Male Gaze: Bitter Sweet

Francisco Perdido

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The Male Gaze CollectionSee all →

The Male Gaze: First Kiss

The Male Gaze: First Kiss · 2018

The Male Gaze: First Kiss

MovieDramaComedy

The Male Gaze is a new series of releases from New Queer Visions that showcases short LGBTQ films from across the world. The first instalment, First Kiss, brings together five shorts that are based around men experiencing romantic and/or sexual interaction with other men for the first time. It takes in films from Sweden, Indonesia, USA, Australia and France giving a rounded look at how similar experiences are depicted across the world. The films are: Naked [Naken] (2013); Pria (2017); Walk With Me (2018), One Night Only (2018); Michel's Mouse [Tapette] (2016).

The Male Gaze: The Heat of the Night

The Male Gaze: The Heat of the Night · 2019

The Male Gaze: The Heat of the Night

When darkness falls, temperatures rise in these six stories about late night confessions, intimacy for sale, high speed hookups and full moon frissons. But when the sun comes up and reality reveals itself, will it have all been worth it? The short films are: Thirst (2018); According to Mateo [Según Mateo] (2017); Hardcore (2016); Beast [Séptimo] (2011); Petit Ami (2017); Skai Blue (2017).

The Male Gaze: Strikers & Defenders

The Male Gaze: Strikers & Defenders · 2020

The Male Gaze: Strikers & Defenders

Work up a sweat from the soccer field to the locker room in these drama-fueled four films from Germany, France and the UK that explore how rivalry between teams can spill over into teacher-pupil relationships, high school crushes and brotherly compassion. The short films are: Islands [Inseln] (2018); Play It Like a Man [Un été viril] (2018); Colours (2015); Through the Fields [Passer les champs] (2015).

The Male Gaze: The Boy Is Mine

The Male Gaze: The Boy Is Mine · 2020

The Male Gaze: The Boy Is Mine

We wish to make him ours, to keep and to hold forever - but will the boy reciprocate? And is he everything we expected him to be? In these five tales from the UK, France, Sweden, Mexico and the USA, a variety of characters throw caution to the wind and take their chances on a fleeting moment. The short films are: Uneven [Impar] (2016); Wolves (2016); Johnny (2018); Debut (2016); Guardian (2018).

The Male Gaze: Celluloid Dreams

The Male Gaze: Celluloid Dreams · 2021

The Male Gaze: Celluloid Dreams

Embark on a journey through celluloid from 1985 to present day in these freshly digitized cinematic pearls from around the world that explore an array of gay encounters from years gone by. The 7 short films are: Just Out of Reach (1998); Toto Forever (2010); Men Don't Cry [Οι άντρες δεν κλαίνε] (2001); Alger la blanche (1986); Unconfessions [Inconfissões] (2018); Same Difference (2002); Boychick (2001).

The Male Gaze: Hide and Seek

The Male Gaze: Hide and Seek · 2021

The Male Gaze: Hide and Seek

On an Italian beach a father leaves his wife and child to reignite an old acquaintance. In London an app hookup leads to more than just a fling. Meanwhile Slovak lovers Dominik and Adam have their relationship put to the test when secrets come to the fore. Popular with children across the globe, hiding and seeking is a game we never seem to stop playing - well into our adult years. The short films are: Lolo (2019); The Den [La tana] (2015); Stanley (2017); If Only You Were Mine [Keby si bol môj] (2017); No Strings (2015).

The Male Gaze: Nocturnal Instincts

The Male Gaze: Nocturnal Instincts · 2021

The Male Gaze: Nocturnal Instincts

MovieDramaRomance

Strap yourself in for an exhilarating journey into darkness with these five award-winning short films from across the globe that delve into heart-pumping escapades varying from the intensely erotic to the ultra-violent to the warm-inside feels. The night has never looked so inviting. Segments: After Dawn [Passée l'aube] (2017), Poof (2018), Spiral (2018), Night of Love (2018), Floating Melon [浮果] (2015).

The Male Gaze: Three's Company

The Male Gaze: Three's Company · 2021

The Male Gaze: Three's Company

Two's company, three's allowed? From family disputes and unexpected babysitting duties to uncomfortable high school memories, manga drawing and friendships pushed to the next level - the Male Gaze series lifts the lid on six very different gay relationships and encounters. When two become three and outsiders enter the fray, what are the group dynamics at play? The short films are: Golden Boys (2017); In Beating Cells [In Pocheden Zellen] (2017); The Middle of a Lake [Le milieu d'un lac] (2017); Gilles (2016); Kiko's Saints [Les saints de Kiko] (2019); With Thelma [Avec Thelma] (2017).

The Male Gaze: Fleeting Glances

The Male Gaze: Fleeting Glances · 2022

The Male Gaze: Fleeting Glances

MovieDramaDocumentary

A release that features 7 shorts from Italy, Israel, Tunisia, New Zealand, the United States and France, exploring those furtive first steps that men take as they decide to act on their sexuality. The 7 short films are: The First Time [La prima volta] (2012); Kiss Me (2022); Nidhal [نضال] (2022); Sparrow (2016); I Am Mackenzie (2019); The Place Between Us [Il posto fra di noi] (2010); By the End of the Night [Que la nuit s'achève] (2018).

The Male Gaze: Shadows on Skin

The Male Gaze: Shadows on Skin · 2023

The Male Gaze: Shadows on Skin

MovieDramaRomance

From a swimming pool in Brazil to the back seat of a car in Germany via an apartment in the early hours of the morning where three men dance to the beat of wild passions, here are four stories about the marks that can be left when skin touches skin. Even in brightness, some shadows will always linger. The 4 short films are: Offline [Desconexo] (2020); Hedon (2019); Adán & Esteban (2022); Private Photos [Fotos Privadas] (2020).

The Male Gaze: A Better Tomorrow

The Male Gaze: A Better Tomorrow · 2023

The Male Gaze: A Better Tomorrow

Go on an enriching journey from Mexico to Spain, onto Austria and then to China via Greece in these five moving short films where gay men overcome various obstacles in accepting who they are, and where they are going - things can only get better. The 5 short films are: If They Knew [Berak baleki] (2021); Xutaj (2022); Boom and Bloom [Neuzeit] (2022); Sexual Distancing (2022); And We Collide [潮汐平行时] (2021).

The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal

The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal · 2023

The Male Gaze: Risk Appeal

A stranger by the lake with a valuable possession. A journey home after serving time in jail. A friendship evolving from childhood to adulthood. Discover five risky situations where men and young boys take the plunge. The 5 short films are: A King, Gazing at the Sea [Le roi qui contemplait la mer] (2022); A Drowning Man (2017); Reo (2016); Summer Friends [L'amie de l'été] (2021); Summer Memories [Souvenir d'une après-midi d'été] (2021).

The Male Gaze: Boy Trouble

The Male Gaze: Boy Trouble · 2024

The Male Gaze: Boy Trouble

Four countries, four men - and four encounters that will call into question everything about themselves they thought they were sure of. Just when you thought things couldn't get any more complicated, along comes a boy to add a fresh perspective. The 4 short films are: Billy Boy (2021); Summer [Verano] (2022); Fabiu (2023); Czechoslovakia [Checoslovaquia] (2022).

The Male Gaze : French Connection

The Male Gaze : French Connection · 2024

The Male Gaze : French Connection

MovieDramaComedy

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).

The Male Gaze: Reality Bites

The Male Gaze: Reality Bites · 2025

The Male Gaze: Reality Bites

There exists a line between resistance and satisfaction, faith and sin, pleasure and danger. These six short films explore how in all our lives, there exists the temptation to cross that line.

More from Gonçalo PinaSee all →

Francisco Perdido

Francisco Perdido · 2024

Francisco Perdido

MovieComedyDrama

April Tune

April Tune · 2025

Early Spring. A sonata, a train, a letter. Between his work as a flute teacher and the rituals of mourning the early death of his wife, Samuel faces a dilemma after a visit from his brother.

Under the Mountains' Shadow

Under the Mountains' Shadow · 2025

Under the Mountains' Shadow

Pedro travels for the first time in one of the vans leading a group of workers to France. While, for the others, this is another work trip, each kilometer brings Pedro closer to a place that seduces him: the colossal mountains of the Alps.

Afternoon Sun

Afternoon Sun · 2020

Under the harsh rays of the sun, Carlos is laying down. There is sunburn on his back. The wind is still. The air is warm. There’s a dryness in the air. He can barely breathe, until he sees Mateus.

Rui Carlos

Rui Carlos · 2025

In the mid-1980s, during a summer day, Rui Carlos and his friends Maranau and Tomané enjoy their free time in the neighborhood, between football matches and playful games. Rui Carlos repairs his worn-out shoes and heads out to borrow a valuable football from their neighbor, Dona Olinda, who daily entrusts it to him. As the teams are chosen and the game begins, typical neighborhood interruptions ensue: a visit from Mascote the dog, a break for lunch, and spontaneous games. But when the ball gets punctured, Rui Carlos is left to face responsibility and the realities of growing up.

Infinity River

Infinity River · 2025

MovieDocumentary

Thousands of workers take the ferry across Lisbon’s Tagus River every day. They’re commuters just like those you see everywhere in buses, trains and subways. In the ceaseless flow of humanity they disappear anonymously into the crowd. This film is Gonçalo Pina’s cinematic tribute to these “invisibles.”

Sulfur

Child solidarity is stronger than death.

Andar com Fé

Andar com Fé · 2025

On a sunny afternoon in Lisbon, Manel leaves home to look for work. He comes across an old church and remembers his late friend Pedro. The history of this space intertwines with Manel's emotional journey.

Maria Henriqueta Was Here

Maria Henriqueta Was Here · 2025

Maria Henriqueta Was Here

In 1872, the Emperor of Brazil, Pedro II, travels to Porto and stays at the Grand Hotel du Louvre, property of Maria Henriqueta de Mello Lemos e Alvelos. Today, the attempt to make a film about this episode becomes an invocation. Maria Henriqueta is with us. Memories, sounds and sensations take over the screen.

Goodbye, Beach

Goodbye, Beach · 2022

Struggling to settle in her first apartment, Laura returns to the space where she has always been happy, the beach where she spent holidays with her parents. For the first time, she feels the urge to say goodbye to her childhood in order to create her own space.

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