Fridae

Summer Storm (Sommersturm) is a gay movie in more ways than one. It is, firstly, a coming of age tale involving gay (and straight) teenagers, and thus falls into what's commonly termed a gay movie. Secondly, it's a gay movie - one of those films that are light and easy and fun to watch, regardless of one's sexual orientation. Although it is titled Summer Storm, the film is more like a summer breeze, this in spite of some rather melodramatic moments in the final reel.

Summer Storm opens with a beautifully shot, wordless sequence, played out to Nada Surf's Blonde on Blonde. We observe two teenagers - Tobi (Robert Stadlober) and Achim (Kostja Ullmann) - in the midst of their training: sit-ups, jumping, stretching, running� It's a testosterone overload, with short shorts and muscles and sweat, and before you know it Tobi and Achim's shorts are around their ankles, the duo busily "choking their chickens" in the boat house, although they were supposed to clean the boat house as a punishment meted out by their rowing coach Hansi (J�rgen Tonkel).

Tobi, a closeted teenager, is very attracted to Achim, but as most real-life stories go, Achim is about as straight as it gets, even if he is willing to indulge in self-manipulation in front of Tobi. Achim's love interest is Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern), who actually feels threatened by Tobi's presence, intuitively fearing that he may steal her boyfriend away. Not to be outdone (or simply outed), Tobi also has a trophy girlfriend Anke (Alicja Bachleda-Curus), who doesn't have an inkling of Tobi's true feelings and sexual orientation.

The team is preparing for a boat camp which will culminate in a competition, but it's also an accepted fact that there will be some hanky panky going on, especially since the supposedly "loose" all-girls boating team from Berlin will be attending. The twist in the tale occurs when the Berlin team pulls out suddenly, and replacing them is a team called the "Queerstrokes" composed entirely of out, loud and proud gay teens.

Thus ensues a series of hilarious situations, mostly revolving around Tobi's team and the Queerstrokes - including a ludicrously funny sequence that involves a homophobe, a few gay men, a bouquet of flowers and an enormous zucchini (to say more would be spoiling the fun). Of these, two subplots emerge: one involves Tobi and Queerstroke member Leo (Marlon Kittel), who is attracted to Tobi and becomes his solace when Tobi's advances towards Achim is (predictably) rejected; the other being the homophobic Georg (Tristano Casanova) becoming the target of Oli (Ludwig Blochberger), whose mission in life is seemingly to conquer straight men.

Of course, this being a coming of age/coming out movie, it is necessary to weave Tobi's acceptance of his homosexuality into the tale, and director/co-writer Marco Kreuzpaintner manages to treat this aspect of the movie with great honesty and sensitivity. Many gay men and women will be able to identify with what Tobi goes through - the uncertainty, the fear and pain of rejection, and the eventual decision to simply grin and bear it, realising along the way that one's friends aren't as close-minded about matters as one might think.

It also helps that Summer Storm is an aesthetically pleasing film. Not only are the young actors rather fine pieces of eye candy (and spends much of the film either bare-chested or breezily dressed), the film is well shot, the boat camp setting providing many beautiful locations for the movie. Kreuzpaintner also handles the sole love scene in the film well, another wordless sequence that literally smoulders with emotion and sexual tension, and guaranteed to leave many audience members with sweaty palms and elevated heart rates.

It's rare to find a gay-themed movie that isn't either entirely played for laughs or entirely melodramatic, and Summer Storm is one of those films which manages to toe the line between the two extremes with moderate success. It may not always be totally believable, but at least it's a candid and easy film to watch, and ranks as one of the better gay-themed films of late.

Organised by Fridae.com with the support of Festive Films & Cathay-Keris Films, the fund-raising charity film premiere gala of German-made Summer Storm hopes to raise S$10,000 for Action for Aids (Singapore). Click here for more info.

Date: 20 April 2005 (Wednesday)
Time: 7.15pm
Venue: Cathay Cineplex Orchard
Tickets: S$25 (proceeds contributed to AfA)
Ticketing: Cathay Cineplex Orchard box-office or phone 6235 1155