comingout

Wonderful, sexy coming-out drama
from East Germany about a teacher
who risks his career for love.

REVIEW

This was East Germany's first
gay-themed film, which reportedly
received it's premiere on the same
night the Berlin Wall came down. It's a
gripping story of a very handsome
young man - Phillip- searching for his
true sexual identity. Philip is a
"straight" schoolteacher whose
repressed homosexuality is ignited
after meeting an old school chum with
whom he had a gay affair. Phillip
makes a late night visit to a gay/drag
bar and goes home with Matthias -
they make love through the long,
slightly drunken night. The next
morning he returns to his girlfriend and
in homosexual panic, marries her.
Phillip cannot get Matthias out of his
head and becomes obssesed with the
beautiful memory of their one night
together. Obviously his marriage
breaks up and he comes out of the
closet, taking great risks with his
career in repressed East Germany.
There's lots of love-making in this
tender tale that is reminiscent of the
quasi-autobiographical films involving
schoolteachers Taxi Zum Klo and
Nighthawks. This is a sentimental, sexy
and frank tale which offers a rare
glimpse into the "perils" of
homosexuality behind the now
destroyed Iron Curtain. (German with
subtitles)

"One of the best gay films I've seen. I
only wish there were more films like
this."
London Gay Times

The DVD contains the PC-friendly The
Best of Queer Berlin. Created by
Berlin's premier gay/lesbian magazine
SIEGESSAEULE, "The Best of Queer
Berlin" offers an innovative and
informative trip to Homopolis! This
extensive guide features insider
information on Berlin's best gay and
lesbian bars, pubs, cafés, clubs and
parties, as well as cultural destinations
such as Europe's only gay museum,
the Marlene Dietrich Collection and
Christopher Isherwood's former
residence. There's also a list of
Berlin's gay/lesbian events which
happen throughout the year such as
the Leather and Fetish Summit during
Easter, the Teddy Awards at the Berlin
Film Festival in February and Europe's
biggest gay and lesbian street party
every June. Thumbnail guides to the
Berlin neighborhoods of Schoneberg,
Berlin-Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and
Kreuzberg complete this thoroughly
unique collection. All locations in The
Best of Queer Berlin are conveniently
referenced on easy-to-read,
printer-friendly city maps.