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Discreet

Panorama 2017
© Drew Xanthopoulos
Bacon sizzling in fat, a young woman thanking the subscribers of her YouTube channel, a corpse neatly wrapped up in black garbage bags and floating down a river – as clear as the first few images of Travis Mathews’ mystery thriller may be, the connections only become clearer gradually, as if they were emerging from the subconscious. This elliptically edited story, which revolves around a man who can no longer be described as young, is accompanied by an eerie soundscape. Filmmaker Alex lives in a van. He sets up his camera in rural areas in the US, in the no-man’s land near highways. During a visit to his mother, a former alcoholic, she shares with him a well-kept secret. There is also a small boy, with whom Alex develops an unexpectedly close relationship. Director Mathews chronicles a modern day gay existence in the West – from anonymous sex to heterosexual porn in a sex bar cabin, or as a service in a motel room. A small house and a life on the margins of society. Meanwhile, on the radio, we are treated to a steady stream of right-wing slogans against everything that is not white and heterosexual, here in Texas.
by Travis Mathews (Written and Directed by)
with Jonny Mars, Joy Cunningham, Bob Swaffar, Atsuko Okatsuka, João Federici, Ed Hattaway, Bill Johnson, Jordan Elsass, Maria Moya USA 2017 English 80' Colour

With

  • Jonny Mars (Alex)
  • Joy Cunningham (Sharon)
  • Bob Swaffar (John)
  • Atsuko Okatsuka (Mandy)
  • João Federici (Miguel)
  • Ed Hattaway (Lyel)
  • Bill Johnson (Mark)
  • Jordan Elsass (Zach)
  • Maria Moya (Jessica)

Crew

Written and Directed by Travis Mathews
Cinematography Drew Xanthopoulos
Editing Don Swaynos
Music Mark Degli Antoni
Sound Design Scott Steiner
Sound Nikki Dengel
Production Design Dustin Shroff
Costumes Amanda Ramirez
Casting Malina Panovich
Assistant Director Don Swaynos
Production Manager Thomas Fernandes
Executive Producers Sarah Rippy, Hornet, Fred Daniel
Producers Don Swaynos, Jonny Mars, Chris Ohlson, João Federici, Travis Mathews, PJ Raval
Co-Producers Jonathan Duffy, Kelly Williams, Thomas Fernandes

World Sales

m-appeal world sales

Berlin, Germany

m-appeal – Raspberry & Cream

(none)

Produced by

Revelator

Austin, USA

Ideias & Ideias Produções Artisticas

São Paulo, Brazil

Photos

Travis Mathews

© Martin Perry

Born in Ohio, USA in 1975, this director, screenwriter, editor and producer with a background in psychology has primarily concentrated on topics such as masculinity and intimacy between homosexual men. He collaborated with James Franco on the docu-fiction Interior.Leather Bar which screened at over 75 international festivals, including the Berlinale and in Rotterdam. His 2012 debut feature film I Want Your Love about a group of gay friends in San Francisco premiered at the Frameline Film Festival and has been shown at numerous other international festivals.

Filmography

2005 Do I Look Fat; documentary 2009 In Their Room San Francisco; short documentary 2010 I Want Your Love; short film 2011 In Their Room Berlin; documentary 2012 I Want Your Love 2013 In Their Room London; documentary · Interior. Leather Bar.; IFB Panorama 2017 Discreet

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2017