Fans of the Male Gaze series of gay short film collections are in for a treat. Heavenly Creatures, their latest offering, has just launched – a queer quartet of films that explore faith and passion. Forgive them, Father, for these boys have sinned. We can witness how the power of God works in mysterious ways, from sexual tension high up in the Spanish mountains to the castles of medieval France and the gossip-filled side streets of Abidjan in West Africa’s Ivory Coast. Religion can be a man’s prison, but sometimes it can set him free.  

First up is The Vice of Buggery, a 16-minute French film by Remi Giordano. It’s 1575, and the sexy King Henri de Valois (Stefan Crepon) is in his horse and carriage in the countryside looking for love, or sex, in particular with the handsome Gabriel (Cyril Metzger), a man who previously spurned his advances before he was King. This is a great short, both sexy and funny, with some humorous references that connect the Middle Ages to the present day. These include a sixteenth-century version of Grindr and a brothel playing techno. Lots of fun – a handsome cast, a punchy soundtrack, and beautifully dark cinematography. This could be developed into a full-length feature.

Next up is Chameleon, a 35-minute brutal drama by Stephane Olijnyk set in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast. Young Muslim dance student Ali (Franck O’Neil) has a good secret sex life with his Catholic lover Saint (Cedric Djedje). Saint however feels he has to stop seeing Ali as he’s about to get married to a woman. Ali is sad about this but nonetheless attends the wedding. There, another guest, the strapping Mael (Eebra Toore) observes the two men and realises what’s been going on. He seeks to exploit this to his advantage, setting off a series of dramatic events. This is an excellent film that highlights the isolation of living in a deeply religious community as a queer person with no support network, and contrasts this with the relative freedom of living somewhere like Paris. Olijnyk combines strong casting with heartfelt messages, great outfits and interesting visual insight into daily life in Abidjan.

The drama then continues with The Martyr, a 30-minute Spanish coming-of-age spectacle directed by Alejandro Mathe. Teenage Elias (Rafa Sambruno) lives in a small rural village in the mountains of Andalucia. He’s exploring his sexuality but there is a dearth of men to focus on. One ripped torso however, is that of the ever-present Jesus Christ, and much time is spent wanking over Jesus statuettes whilst touching Jesus’ torso. Elias is also very sexually interested in the blood from Jesus’ wounds on the cross and this sets him off on an extreme path of sexual discovery which reaches a head when his fantasies meet reality with real-life sexual encounters. This is a beautiful, mildly extreme, exploration of youthful sexual experimentation, devotion, ritual and masochism, combined with religious fervour, shot in the most scenic rural Spanish surroundings. This examination of the blurred boundaries between sex and self-harm enjoys a strong, sexy cast as we take a trip to the extremities.

We finish the series in a slightly more light-hearted manner. The Passion according to Karim is a French film by Axel Wuersten. A nerdy scout troop arrives in a remote village to enact the Crucifixion of Christ to the local community. Teenage Karim (Arman Saibi) has been cast as Jesus but he’s struggling to portray the ecstasy experienced by Jesus Christ as he dies on the cross. Nothing seems to work until geeky fellow scout Pierre-Marie (Pierre Gomme) steps in to lend a hand. This is a gloriously colourful and random exercise in youthful problem-solving. Lots of fun.  10/10

Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant  (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah