Las Dhont is the talented gay filmmaker behd the Osr nomee that has all tears

LAS DHONT ON CLOSE, MASCULY, AND WHAT HE LEARNED FROM THE CRICISMS SURROUNDG GIRLTHE 31-YEAR-OLD BELGIAN DIRECTOR WANTS TO SPARK NVERSATNS WH HIS NEW FILM, ABOUT A RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TEENAGE BOY THAT TERRAT HEARTBREAKG FASHN. BY MATTHEW JABSJANUARY 13, 2023SYLVA LEFEVRE/GETTY IMAG. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVECALLG LAS DHONT A PROVOTR DON’T FEEL QUE RIGHT. THE YOUNG BELGIAN DIRECTOR’S MOVI ARE TOO EARNT FOR THAT LABEL, BUT BOTH OF THEM HAVE POLARIZED CRICS AND DIENC ENOUGH TO GIVE DHONT A B OF A REPUTATN. HIS BUT, 2018’S GIRL, WON MULTIPLE AWARDS AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL BUT DREW FIERCE CRICISM FOR S TENSE PORTRA OF A TRANSGENR BALLERA’S BODILY TRANSN. (ON NETFLIX, A VIEWER-DISCRETN WARNG PRECES THE MOVIE.) NOW, DHONT’S FOLLOW-UP, CLOSE, HAS GENERATED RAPTURO RPONS, CLUDG CANN’ VETED GRAND PRIX JURY PRIZE, AND SOME SKEPTICISM TOO. CLOSE FOLLOWS TWO 13-YEAR-OLD BT IENDS, LéO (EN DAMBRE) AND RéMI (GTAV DE WAELE), AS THEY LEAVE BEHD THE SPOILS OF SUMMER FOR A H SCHOOL YEAR. CLASSMAT WHO OBSERVE THE PAIR’S TIMACY QUTN WHETHER THEY BOYS ARE GAY, PROMPTG A CRISIS WH LéO. HE PH RéMI AWAY, WHICH RULTS VASTATG NSEQUENC. DHONT PTUR AN EXTRAORDARY LEVEL OF KSHIP BETWEEN HIS TWO ACTORS, BOTH FIRST-TIMERS. THE RAVISHG HALF HOUR THAT OPENS THE MOVIE THEN GIV WAY TO SEVERE PLOT CHOIC THAT HAVE BEEN LLED EMOTNAL BUT ALSO MANIPULATIVE.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWDHONT, 31, SAYS HE SIGNED BOTH GIRL AND CLOSE TO PROMPT DISCSNS. BY THAT METRIC, HE’S CREDIBLY SUCCSFUL. CLOSE, WRTEN WH PREV LLABORATOR ANGELO TIJSSENS, WILL LIKELY ELIC MORE NVERSATN AS AWARDS SEASON NTU, AS ’S BEEN SHORT-LISTED FOR THE OSRS’ TERNATNAL-FEATURE-FILM TEGORY. DHONT TALKED TO VANY FAIR ABOUT HOW THE MOVIE ME TOGETHER, THE NTROVERSY SURROUNDG GIRL, AND WORKG TO TACKLE IAS ABOUT MASCULY HIS WORK. VANY FAIR: CLOSE IS YOUR SEND GO-ROUND. WHAT DO FEEL LIKE THIS TIME?LAS DHONT: IT'S CREDIBLY REWARDG TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AROUND WH THIS FILM TO THAT GREE. YOU NEVER DARE TO EXPECT —THAT WOULD BE TOO DANGERO. WHEN YOU GET TO HAVE A NVERSATN AROUND MASCULY AND TIMACY THAT IS SO EPLY PERSONAL, BUT ALSO SO EPLY NECSARY FOR ALL TO HAVE, 'S EVERYTHG THAT I FEEL LIKE I NEED. IT'S BEG ABLE TO E AN ART FORM THAT IS CREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO , AND ALSO BEG ABLE TO HAVE A NVERSATN THAT I FEEL I WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE FOR A LONG MOMENT MY LIFE. AND NOW I'M ABLE TO HAVE ON A VERY BIG SLE. YOU HAVE THE RARE PRIVILEGE OF GETTG TO WORK THROUGH THGS WE AL WH AS ADOLCENTS. BOTH OF YOUR FIRST TWO MOVI PLUG TO THAT. AFTER GIRL ME OUT, HOW QUICKLY DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE NEXT? I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT I'M NOT THE CLICHE OF A SEND-TIME DIRECTOR WHO SAYS 'S DIFFICULT, BUT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT THE BEGNG. I HAD TO REALIZE THAT THE ENERGY OF MAKG A SEND PIECE IS VERY DIFFERENT OM THE ENERGY OF THE FIRST ONE. I ALSO REALLY HAD TO LEAVE BEHD GIRL BEE THAT WAS A LONG MOMENT MY LIFE THAT I SPENT WH THAT FILM. THAT FILM BEME A PART OF ME. SO STARTG OVER, FDG A NEW SIRE, TOOK SOME TIME. REALLY, THE POT WHERE I REALIZED, OKAY, THIS WILL BE THE NEW PIECE, IS WHEN I ME UPON THIS REARCH BY THE NEW YORK PSYCHOLOGIST NBE WAY, WHO FOLLOWED THE LIV OF 150 BOYS OVER FIVE YEARS. WHEN SHE TERVIEWED THEM AT 13 AND THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR IENDS, THEY EXPRS LIKE 'S LOVE STORI. THEY DARE TO E THE WORD "LOVE" ABOUT EACH OTHER THE MOST TENR, BETIFUL WAY. AND THEN AS SHE FOLLOWS THEM, YOU READ HOW THE BOYS, AS THEY GROW OLR AND AS EXPECTATNS OF MASCULY BEE STRONGER ON THEM, PLETELY DISNNECT OM THAT LANGUAGE. I FEEL LIKE WE LIVE A SOCIETY WHERE MASCULY AND TIMACY HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT NCEPTS TO BRG TOGETHER. I FEEL LIKE WE TELL MEN THAT THE ONLY PLACE THAT THEY N FD TIMACY THIS WORLD IS THROUGH SEX AND THAT EXPRSG LOVE AND VULNERABILY TOWARDS ANOTHER MAN SEEMS TO BE SOMETHG CREDIBLY PLEX. WE OFTEN GET IMAG OF TOXIC BEHAVR—OF VLENCE, OF WAR—REPRENTED WHEN TO MASCULY, BUT WE SO RARELY GET TO SEE AN TIMATE, BETIFUL IENDSHIP WHERE TWO BOYS LAY A BED TOGETHER AND JT WANT TO BE AS CLOSE AS THEY POSSIBLY N.HAVE YOU SEEN LTLE MEN, IRA SACHS' MOVIE? OH Y. WHEN I WENT LOOKG FOR OTHER EXAMPL, WAS ONE OF THE ONLY FILMS WHERE I FEEL LIKE WAS SHOWG THAT SENSIBILY, THAT SENSUALY. OF URSE, 'S ALSO HOW THE PARENTS IMPACT THE RELATNSHIPS OF THEIR CHILDREN. BUT IS SUCH A RARE EXAMPLE OF THAT TYPE OF IENDSHIP. IT'S A FILM THAT EPLY IMPACTED ME WHEN I SAW , AND UNFORTUNATELY 'S ONE OF THE REALLY RARE EXAMPL OF ONSCREEN TIMACY BETWEEN TWO BOYS.MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHOSE TWO MOVI MAKE GOOD PANN PIEC. LTLE MEN HAS A MELANCHOLY TO , BUT CLOSE GO TO MORE OF AN EXTREME. IT'S TERTG TO THK THROUGH THAT BEE GIRL WAS, S OWN WAY, A VERY NTROVERSIAL MOVIE. DID THE RECEPTN TO LOR ANY OF YOUR APPROACH TO CLOSE GIVEN THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKG THE REALM OF QUEER ADOLCENCE?I ALWAYS SAID TO THE ACTORS CLOSE, "I DON'T RE ABOUT THE SEXUALY OF THE CHARACTERS, WHETHER LéO AND RéMI ARE QUEER OR NOT QUEER." WHEN I READ THE TTIMONI OF THE BOYS, SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE QUEER, OTHERS NOT. BUT THEY SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE OF BEG DISNNECTED OM ONE ANOTHER BY THE S OF BEHAVR LKED TO THE BODY THAT THEY'RE BORN . FOR ME, 'S ABOUT REALLY MAKG FEEL THAT WE MURRED THE BETIFUL IENDSHIP BETWEEN BOYS OM A VERY YOUNG AGE.WHAT I FOUND SO CREDIBLE WH GIRL IS THAT REALLY ALLOWED ME TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WH PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT WH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIV, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT CULTUR, AND MA ME LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKG AT SOMETHG. AND WH CLOSE, WE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE A PIECE, ON THE ONE HAND, ABOUT AGILY, ABOUT TENRNS, BUT ALSO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PRIVE YOUNG MEN OF THAT AGILY. THAT'S ALSO THE REASON WHY THE SUICI RAT WH MEN ARE SO MUCH HIGHER. WE'VE TRIED TO TACKLE TOPICS THAT ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO TALK OF.WH THE DIALOGUE THAT ME OUT OF GIRL, YOU ALWAYS SEEMED RECEPTIVE TO WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE CISNS YOU MA WH THE FILM. BUT I DO WONR, LOOKG BACK AFTER A FEW YEARS, WHETHER THERE ARE THGS YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU WERE TO MAKE THE MOVIE NOW. WELL, I THK EVERY PIECE YOU MAKE AT A CERTA MOMENT TIME. BEE OF THAT MOMENT, BEE OF THAT TIME, YOUR SIR AFTER MAKG SOMETHG CHANGE PLETELY OM BEFORE. AND SO I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE CHANGED, MY SIR. THEY HAVE GONE ELSEWHERE. I HAVE LEARNED, I HAVE GROWN. AND I THK THAT I REALIZED THAT THERE'S SO LTLE TRANS REPRENTATN ALREADY ONSCREEN. THERE’S STILL SO MANY EXPERIENC TO SHOW, TO TELL. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY’RE ME TO DO THAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE WHAT I REALLY UNRSTOOD AND LEARNED IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS VISIBILY, AND WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE ALSO TALK ABOUT . YOU HAVE A FILM LIKE JOYLAND, WHICH WON [A JURY PRIZE] THIS YEAR AT CANN. I HOPE THERE'S MORE. I HOPE THEY WILL MULTIPLY. AND I HOPE THAT I GET TO WATCH THEM AND BE PART OF THEM SOMEHOW.WHAT DID YOU DO TO PREPARE YOUR TWO YOUNG ACTORS FOR THIS SHOOT? HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU SPEND WH THEM? I THK WE ST THEM SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE SHOOT. THEY HAD CHEMISTRY OM VERY EARLY ON. THEY READ THE SCRIPT ONCE BEE I WANTED THEM TO KNOW EVERYTHG THAT IS SI THERE. WE TALKED ABOUT IENDSHIP BEE THOSE ARE THE CENTRAL RELATNSHIPS THEIR LIV. WE TALKED ABOUT MASCULY BEE THEY ARE TWO YOUNG MEN GROWG UP AND FEELG THOSE PRSUR. AND THEN WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER, LIKE VERY DAILY MOMENTS. AND DURG THOSE MOMENTS, WE WOULD OFTEN, A VERY RMAL WAY, TALK ABOUT WHY THEIR CHARACTER DO THIS OR DO THIS. THEY WOULD BEE TECTIV SOMEHOW, BEE THEY WOULD GATHER DIFFERENT PARTS OF RMATN ON THE WAY. FOR ME, WH YOUNG PEOPLE, 'S ABOUT CREATG NFINCE THEMSELV THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND THAT THEY N DO . WE BRG A MERA EARLY ON SO THAT THEY WOULD BEE FORTABLE WH THE IA OF . THEY MEET THE CREW MEMBERS ONE BY ONE ORR TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS FAY AND NOT ALL OF A SUDN BE NONTED WH THE BIGNS OF SETS. THEY BUILD THIS NNECTN AND THIS TIMACY, AND THEN WHEN THEY E ON SET, THERE'S REALLY SOMETHG THAT ALREADY EXISTS BETWEEN THEM. MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND THEN ON SET, I TRY TO GUI THEM AS MUCH AS I N, TOGETHER WH ONE OF MY IENDS WHO'S ALSO THE CHILD ACH ON THE SET. BUT AS THE MERA WAS ALREADY A PART OF THE REHEARSALS, THEY ARE VERY MUCH ED TO THIS IA OF THE MERA THERE. SO WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO GO THAT STEP FURTHER AND MAKE THE SCEN E ALIVE. AS THEY HAVEN'T READ THE SCRIPT AGA, THEY HAVE NOT REHEARSED PLETE WORDS. THEY REMEMBERED A LTLE B OF WHAT WAS SAID, BUT THEY TRIED TO FORMULATE THEIR OWN WAYS. THEY BEE -THORS THAT SENSE. LIKE THE SCENE WHERE LéO TELLS A BEDTIME STORY TO RéMI. IN THE SCRIPT, THAT WAS WRTEN, "HE TELLS A STORY ABOUT A BLACK HOLE AND FALLG TO THE UNIVERSE." EN SAID, "I WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHG LIKE THAT." AND I WAS JT LIKE, "WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?" HE'S LIKE, "A DUCK AND A LIZARD." AND SO I SAID, "THAT'S PERFECT." IN THAT MOMENT, I FELT LIKE HE'S FORTABLE ENOUGH TO TELL ME THAT. HE'S EXPRSG THAT HE REALLY SPEAKS LIKE THE 13-YEAR-OLD THAT HE IS. IT WAS BETIFUL TO SEE.COURTY OF A24.[WARNG: SPOILERS BELOW.]DID YOU WRE YOUR WAY TO THE SUICI THAT HAPPENS THE MOVIE? OR WAS THE TRAGEDY THAT BEFALLS RéMI CLEAR TO YOU OM THE OUTSET? WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THIS DISNNECTN, NOT ONLY OM THE OTHER BUT ALSO OM ONELF, OM THE EMOTNAL WORLD, OM THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTN, OM EVERYTHG, I FELT LIKE WAS A RELEVANT TOPIC LKED TO MASCULY. SO YOU WENT TO THIS KNOWG THAT WOULD BE A FULCM THE MOVIE?NO, NOT OM THE BEGNG. BUT G UPON ALL THE ARTICL THAT LKED LONELS AND DISNNECTN OM IENDSHIPS AND OM TIMACY TO THIS TOPIC SOCIETY, I THK ALONG THE WAY, WE STARTED TO REALIZE THAT ULD BEE A PART OF . MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHLEO JOG THE HOCKEY TEAM AS A WAY TO MANIFT HIS SENSE OF MASCULY REMD ME OF CHIRON THE THIRD ACT OF MOONLIGHT, WHERE SUDNLY WE SEE HIM HARNED AND NCEALG HIS SEXUALY. DID YOU SEE SPORTS AS A SIAR FUNCTN?** THE IA OF THE ICE-HOCKEY STUME WAS ONE THAT ME EARLY ON BEE WE FELT LIKE HAD MEANG THE FIRST PART OF THE FILM—THIS SIRE TO WANT TO BE LIKE THE OTHERS AND DISAPPEAR A GROUP. AND THE SEND HALF OF THE FILM, 'S ABOUT GRIEF AND FEELGS OF RPONSIBILY AND NOT BEG ABLE TO MUNITE ANYMORE—AND SO PUTTG ON THIS ARMOR THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS VISIBLE. FOR THIS PERSON, 'S LERALLY REPRENTED BY THIS STUME, THROUGH WHICH NOTHG ENTERS AND NOTHG EXS ANYMORE. THE IA OF SOMEONE HAVG ON AN ARMOR IS ED SOMETHG THAT THAT LAST PART OF MOONLIGHT IS SO BETIFULLY CRAFTED. IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO SPEAK ABOUT A FEELG THAT IS SO CLOSELY NNECTED TO SHAME, AND SO WE DON'T REALLY VOLIZE . AS CLOSE UNFOLDS, LéO AND RéMI BEE TWO SIS OF THE SAME STORY. LéO ACTIVELY ATTEMPTS TO NFORM TO WHAT HIS CLASSMAT EXPECT HIM TO BE, WHEREAS RéMI SEEMS TO RE MORE ABOUT THE IENDSHIP. HE'S NOT AS TERTED THE NFORMY THAT LéO IS WILLG TO ADOPT—SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN LéO SHUTS RéMI OUT, RéMI SHUTS DOWN TERNALLY. WHICH OF THOSE TWO POL FELT MORE PERSONAL TO YOU? WE REALIZED, EVEN THOUGH WE FOC ON THEIR IENDSHIP, WE WANTED TO FOLLOW ONE CHARACTER, LéO. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN PHED AWAY AND I HAVE PHED AWAY. I THK I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW, FOR THE CHARACTER OF RéMI, TO WHICH POT HE WANTED TO BELONG TO A GROUP OR NOT. I DIDN'T WANT TO FILL THAT FOR HIM. I THK WE ALL RELATE TO BEG PHED AWAY, AND WE ALL RELATE TO PHG AWAY. IT'S TWO SIS OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVE ALL FELT.THIS TERVIEW HAS BEEN EDED AND NNSED. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MATTHEW JABS
LAS DHONT IS THE TALENTED GAY FILMMAKER BEHD THE OSR NOMEE THAT HAS ALL TEARS

LAS DHONT ON CLOSE, MASCULY, AND WHAT HE LEARNED FROM THE CRICISMS SURROUNDG GIRLTHE 31-YEAR-OLD BELGIAN DIRECTOR WANTS TO SPARK NVERSATNS WH HIS NEW FILM, ABOUT A RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TEENAGE BOY THAT TERRAT HEARTBREAKG FASHN. BY MATTHEW JABSJANUARY 13, 2023SYLVA LEFEVRE/GETTY IMAG. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVECALLG LAS DHONT A PROVOTR DON’T FEEL QUE RIGHT. THE YOUNG BELGIAN DIRECTOR’S MOVI ARE TOO EARNT FOR THAT LABEL, BUT BOTH OF THEM HAVE POLARIZED CRICS AND DIENC ENOUGH TO GIVE DHONT A B OF A REPUTATN. HIS BUT, 2018’S GIRL, WON MULTIPLE AWARDS AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL BUT DREW FIERCE CRICISM FOR S TENSE PORTRA OF A TRANSGENR BALLERA’S BODILY TRANSN. (ON NETFLIX, A VIEWER-DISCRETN WARNG PRECES THE MOVIE.) NOW, DHONT’S FOLLOW-UP, CLOSE, HAS GENERATED RAPTURO RPONS, CLUDG CANN’ VETED GRAND PRIX JURY PRIZE, AND SOME SKEPTICISM TOO. CLOSE FOLLOWS TWO 13-YEAR-OLD BT IENDS, LéO (EN DAMBRE) AND RéMI (GTAV DE WAELE), AS THEY LEAVE BEHD THE SPOILS OF SUMMER FOR A H SCHOOL YEAR. CLASSMAT WHO OBSERVE THE PAIR’S TIMACY QUTN WHETHER THEY BOYS ARE GAY, PROMPTG A CRISIS WH LéO. HE PH RéMI AWAY, WHICH RULTS VASTATG NSEQUENC. DHONT PTUR AN EXTRAORDARY LEVEL OF KSHIP BETWEEN HIS TWO ACTORS, BOTH FIRST-TIMERS. THE RAVISHG HALF HOUR THAT OPENS THE MOVIE THEN GIV WAY TO SEVERE PLOT CHOIC THAT HAVE BEEN LLED EMOTNAL BUT ALSO MANIPULATIVE.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWDHONT, 31, SAYS HE SIGNED BOTH GIRL AND CLOSE TO PROMPT DISCSNS. BY THAT METRIC, HE’S CREDIBLY SUCCSFUL. CLOSE, WRTEN WH PREV LLABORATOR ANGELO TIJSSENS, WILL LIKELY ELIC MORE NVERSATN AS AWARDS SEASON NTU, AS ’S BEEN SHORT-LISTED FOR THE OSRS’ TERNATNAL-FEATURE-FILM TEGORY. DHONT TALKED TO VANY FAIR ABOUT HOW THE MOVIE ME TOGETHER, THE NTROVERSY SURROUNDG GIRL, AND WORKG TO TACKLE IAS ABOUT MASCULY HIS WORK. VANY FAIR: CLOSE IS YOUR SEND GO-ROUND. WHAT DO FEEL LIKE THIS TIME?LAS DHONT: IT'S CREDIBLY REWARDG TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AROUND WH THIS FILM TO THAT GREE. YOU NEVER DARE TO EXPECT —THAT WOULD BE TOO DANGERO. WHEN YOU GET TO HAVE A NVERSATN AROUND MASCULY AND TIMACY THAT IS SO EPLY PERSONAL, BUT ALSO SO EPLY NECSARY FOR ALL TO HAVE, 'S EVERYTHG THAT I FEEL LIKE I NEED. IT'S BEG ABLE TO E AN ART FORM THAT IS CREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO , AND ALSO BEG ABLE TO HAVE A NVERSATN THAT I FEEL I WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE FOR A LONG MOMENT MY LIFE. AND NOW I'M ABLE TO HAVE ON A VERY BIG SLE. YOU HAVE THE RARE PRIVILEGE OF GETTG TO WORK THROUGH THGS WE AL WH AS ADOLCENTS. BOTH OF YOUR FIRST TWO MOVI PLUG TO THAT. AFTER GIRL ME OUT, HOW QUICKLY DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE NEXT? I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT I'M NOT THE CLICHE OF A SEND-TIME DIRECTOR WHO SAYS 'S DIFFICULT, BUT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT THE BEGNG. I HAD TO REALIZE THAT THE ENERGY OF MAKG A SEND PIECE IS VERY DIFFERENT OM THE ENERGY OF THE FIRST ONE. I ALSO REALLY HAD TO LEAVE BEHD GIRL BEE THAT WAS A LONG MOMENT MY LIFE THAT I SPENT WH THAT FILM. THAT FILM BEME A PART OF ME. SO STARTG OVER, FDG A NEW SIRE, TOOK SOME TIME. REALLY, THE POT WHERE I REALIZED, OKAY, THIS WILL BE THE NEW PIECE, IS WHEN I ME UPON THIS REARCH BY THE NEW YORK PSYCHOLOGIST NBE WAY, WHO FOLLOWED THE LIV OF 150 BOYS OVER FIVE YEARS. WHEN SHE TERVIEWED THEM AT 13 AND THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR IENDS, THEY EXPRS LIKE 'S LOVE STORI. THEY DARE TO E THE WORD "LOVE" ABOUT EACH OTHER THE MOST TENR, BETIFUL WAY. AND THEN AS SHE FOLLOWS THEM, YOU READ HOW THE BOYS, AS THEY GROW OLR AND AS EXPECTATNS OF MASCULY BEE STRONGER ON THEM, PLETELY DISNNECT OM THAT LANGUAGE. I FEEL LIKE WE LIVE A SOCIETY WHERE MASCULY AND TIMACY HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT NCEPTS TO BRG TOGETHER. I FEEL LIKE WE TELL MEN THAT THE ONLY PLACE THAT THEY N FD TIMACY THIS WORLD IS THROUGH SEX AND THAT EXPRSG LOVE AND VULNERABILY TOWARDS ANOTHER MAN SEEMS TO BE SOMETHG CREDIBLY PLEX. WE OFTEN GET IMAG OF TOXIC BEHAVR—OF VLENCE, OF WAR—REPRENTED WHEN TO MASCULY, BUT WE SO RARELY GET TO SEE AN TIMATE, BETIFUL IENDSHIP WHERE TWO BOYS LAY A BED TOGETHER AND JT WANT TO BE AS CLOSE AS THEY POSSIBLY N.HAVE YOU SEEN LTLE MEN, IRA SACHS' MOVIE? OH Y. WHEN I WENT LOOKG FOR OTHER EXAMPL, WAS ONE OF THE ONLY FILMS WHERE I FEEL LIKE WAS SHOWG THAT SENSIBILY, THAT SENSUALY. OF URSE, 'S ALSO HOW THE PARENTS IMPACT THE RELATNSHIPS OF THEIR CHILDREN. BUT IS SUCH A RARE EXAMPLE OF THAT TYPE OF IENDSHIP. IT'S A FILM THAT EPLY IMPACTED ME WHEN I SAW , AND UNFORTUNATELY 'S ONE OF THE REALLY RARE EXAMPL OF ONSCREEN TIMACY BETWEEN TWO BOYS.MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHOSE TWO MOVI MAKE GOOD PANN PIEC. LTLE MEN HAS A MELANCHOLY TO , BUT CLOSE GO TO MORE OF AN EXTREME. IT'S TERTG TO THK THROUGH THAT BEE GIRL WAS, S OWN WAY, A VERY NTROVERSIAL MOVIE. DID THE RECEPTN TO LOR ANY OF YOUR APPROACH TO CLOSE GIVEN THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKG THE REALM OF QUEER ADOLCENCE?I ALWAYS SAID TO THE ACTORS CLOSE, "I DON'T RE ABOUT THE SEXUALY OF THE CHARACTERS, WHETHER LéO AND RéMI ARE QUEER OR NOT QUEER." WHEN I READ THE TTIMONI OF THE BOYS, SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE QUEER, OTHERS NOT. BUT THEY SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE OF BEG DISNNECTED OM ONE ANOTHER BY THE S OF BEHAVR LKED TO THE BODY THAT THEY'RE BORN . FOR ME, 'S ABOUT REALLY MAKG FEEL THAT WE MURRED THE BETIFUL IENDSHIP BETWEEN BOYS OM A VERY YOUNG AGE.WHAT I FOUND SO CREDIBLE WH GIRL IS THAT REALLY ALLOWED ME TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WH PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT WH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIV, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT CULTUR, AND MA ME LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKG AT SOMETHG. AND WH CLOSE, WE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE A PIECE, ON THE ONE HAND, ABOUT AGILY, ABOUT TENRNS, BUT ALSO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PRIVE YOUNG MEN OF THAT AGILY. THAT'S ALSO THE REASON WHY THE SUICI RAT WH MEN ARE SO MUCH HIGHER. WE'VE TRIED TO TACKLE TOPICS THAT ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO TALK OF.WH THE DIALOGUE THAT ME OUT OF GIRL, YOU ALWAYS SEEMED RECEPTIVE TO WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE CISNS YOU MA WH THE FILM. BUT I DO WONR, LOOKG BACK AFTER A FEW YEARS, WHETHER THERE ARE THGS YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU WERE TO MAKE THE MOVIE NOW. WELL, I THK EVERY PIECE YOU MAKE AT A CERTA MOMENT TIME. BEE OF THAT MOMENT, BEE OF THAT TIME, YOUR SIR AFTER MAKG SOMETHG CHANGE PLETELY OM BEFORE. AND SO I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE CHANGED, MY SIR. THEY HAVE GONE ELSEWHERE. I HAVE LEARNED, I HAVE GROWN. AND I THK THAT I REALIZED THAT THERE'S SO LTLE TRANS REPRENTATN ALREADY ONSCREEN. THERE’S STILL SO MANY EXPERIENC TO SHOW, TO TELL. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY’RE ME TO DO THAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE WHAT I REALLY UNRSTOOD AND LEARNED IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS VISIBILY, AND WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE ALSO TALK ABOUT . YOU HAVE A FILM LIKE JOYLAND, WHICH WON [A JURY PRIZE] THIS YEAR AT CANN. I HOPE THERE'S MORE. I HOPE THEY WILL MULTIPLY. AND I HOPE THAT I GET TO WATCH THEM AND BE PART OF THEM SOMEHOW.WHAT DID YOU DO TO PREPARE YOUR TWO YOUNG ACTORS FOR THIS SHOOT? HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU SPEND WH THEM? I THK WE ST THEM SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE SHOOT. THEY HAD CHEMISTRY OM VERY EARLY ON. THEY READ THE SCRIPT ONCE BEE I WANTED THEM TO KNOW EVERYTHG THAT IS SI THERE. WE TALKED ABOUT IENDSHIP BEE THOSE ARE THE CENTRAL RELATNSHIPS THEIR LIV. WE TALKED ABOUT MASCULY BEE THEY ARE TWO YOUNG MEN GROWG UP AND FEELG THOSE PRSUR. AND THEN WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER, LIKE VERY DAILY MOMENTS. AND DURG THOSE MOMENTS, WE WOULD OFTEN, A VERY RMAL WAY, TALK ABOUT WHY THEIR CHARACTER DO THIS OR DO THIS. THEY WOULD BEE TECTIV SOMEHOW, BEE THEY WOULD GATHER DIFFERENT PARTS OF RMATN ON THE WAY. FOR ME, WH YOUNG PEOPLE, 'S ABOUT CREATG NFINCE THEMSELV THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND THAT THEY N DO . WE BRG A MERA EARLY ON SO THAT THEY WOULD BEE FORTABLE WH THE IA OF . THEY MEET THE CREW MEMBERS ONE BY ONE ORR TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS FAY AND NOT ALL OF A SUDN BE NONTED WH THE BIGNS OF SETS. THEY BUILD THIS NNECTN AND THIS TIMACY, AND THEN WHEN THEY E ON SET, THERE'S REALLY SOMETHG THAT ALREADY EXISTS BETWEEN THEM. MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND THEN ON SET, I TRY TO GUI THEM AS MUCH AS I N, TOGETHER WH ONE OF MY IENDS WHO'S ALSO THE CHILD ACH ON THE SET. BUT AS THE MERA WAS ALREADY A PART OF THE REHEARSALS, THEY ARE VERY MUCH ED TO THIS IA OF THE MERA THERE. SO WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO GO THAT STEP FURTHER AND MAKE THE SCEN E ALIVE. AS THEY HAVEN'T READ THE SCRIPT AGA, THEY HAVE NOT REHEARSED PLETE WORDS. THEY REMEMBERED A LTLE B OF WHAT WAS SAID, BUT THEY TRIED TO FORMULATE THEIR OWN WAYS. THEY BEE -THORS THAT SENSE. LIKE THE SCENE WHERE LéO TELLS A BEDTIME STORY TO RéMI. IN THE SCRIPT, THAT WAS WRTEN, "HE TELLS A STORY ABOUT A BLACK HOLE AND FALLG TO THE UNIVERSE." EN SAID, "I WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHG LIKE THAT." AND I WAS JT LIKE, "WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?" HE'S LIKE, "A DUCK AND A LIZARD." AND SO I SAID, "THAT'S PERFECT." IN THAT MOMENT, I FELT LIKE HE'S FORTABLE ENOUGH TO TELL ME THAT. HE'S EXPRSG THAT HE REALLY SPEAKS LIKE THE 13-YEAR-OLD THAT HE IS. IT WAS BETIFUL TO SEE.COURTY OF A24.[WARNG: SPOILERS BELOW.]DID YOU WRE YOUR WAY TO THE SUICI THAT HAPPENS THE MOVIE? OR WAS THE TRAGEDY THAT BEFALLS RéMI CLEAR TO YOU OM THE OUTSET? WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THIS DISNNECTN, NOT ONLY OM THE OTHER BUT ALSO OM ONELF, OM THE EMOTNAL WORLD, OM THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTN, OM EVERYTHG, I FELT LIKE WAS A RELEVANT TOPIC LKED TO MASCULY. SO YOU WENT TO THIS KNOWG THAT WOULD BE A FULCM THE MOVIE?NO, NOT OM THE BEGNG. BUT G UPON ALL THE ARTICL THAT LKED LONELS AND DISNNECTN OM IENDSHIPS AND OM TIMACY TO THIS TOPIC SOCIETY, I THK ALONG THE WAY, WE STARTED TO REALIZE THAT ULD BEE A PART OF . MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHLEO JOG THE HOCKEY TEAM AS A WAY TO MANIFT HIS SENSE OF MASCULY REMD ME OF CHIRON THE THIRD ACT OF MOONLIGHT, WHERE SUDNLY WE SEE HIM HARNED AND NCEALG HIS SEXUALY. DID YOU SEE SPORTS AS A SIAR FUNCTN?** THE IA OF THE ICE-HOCKEY STUME WAS ONE THAT ME EARLY ON BEE WE FELT LIKE HAD MEANG THE FIRST PART OF THE FILM—THIS SIRE TO WANT TO BE LIKE THE OTHERS AND DISAPPEAR A GROUP. AND THE SEND HALF OF THE FILM, 'S ABOUT GRIEF AND FEELGS OF RPONSIBILY AND NOT BEG ABLE TO MUNITE ANYMORE—AND SO PUTTG ON THIS ARMOR THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS VISIBLE. FOR THIS PERSON, 'S LERALLY REPRENTED BY THIS STUME, THROUGH WHICH NOTHG ENTERS AND NOTHG EXS ANYMORE. THE IA OF SOMEONE HAVG ON AN ARMOR IS ED SOMETHG THAT THAT LAST PART OF MOONLIGHT IS SO BETIFULLY CRAFTED. IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO SPEAK ABOUT A FEELG THAT IS SO CLOSELY NNECTED TO SHAME, AND SO WE DON'T REALLY VOLIZE . AS CLOSE UNFOLDS, LéO AND RéMI BEE TWO SIS OF THE SAME STORY. LéO ACTIVELY ATTEMPTS TO NFORM TO WHAT HIS CLASSMAT EXPECT HIM TO BE, WHEREAS RéMI SEEMS TO RE MORE ABOUT THE IENDSHIP. HE'S NOT AS TERTED THE NFORMY THAT LéO IS WILLG TO ADOPT—SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN LéO SHUTS RéMI OUT, RéMI SHUTS DOWN TERNALLY. WHICH OF THOSE TWO POL FELT MORE PERSONAL TO YOU? WE REALIZED, EVEN THOUGH WE FOC ON THEIR IENDSHIP, WE WANTED TO FOLLOW ONE CHARACTER, LéO. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN PHED AWAY AND I HAVE PHED AWAY. I THK I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW, FOR THE CHARACTER OF RéMI, TO WHICH POT HE WANTED TO BELONG TO A GROUP OR NOT. I DIDN'T WANT TO FILL THAT FOR HIM. I THK WE ALL RELATE TO BEG PHED AWAY, AND WE ALL RELATE TO PHG AWAY. IT'S TWO SIS OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVE ALL FELT.THIS TERVIEW HAS BEEN EDED AND NNSED. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMCAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MATTHEW JABS

Classmat who observe the pair’s timacy qutn whether they boys are gay, promptg a crisis wh Léo. From “U-hl lbian” nductors to a multi-verse hoppg queer anti-hero, this year’s crop of Osr-nomated movi is pretty gay!

But one place we were pleased to see some queer reprentatn was the Bt Internatnal Film tegory, which regnized the heartbreakg g-of-age drama Close om gay Belgian filmmaker Las Dhont. For Dhont, who would e out as gay as a young adult, the mera was an pe om the stras and stereotyp he was begng to feel phed on him. He grew up gay and sensive Dikkelvenne, near Ghent, and dreamt of beg a dancer.

They may be gay but there isn’t time to fd out: as they start a new school, their relatnship attracts the scty and mockery of their peers.

(Which feels like the Amy panrg to the gays—and we’re not mad about !

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