The best Manuel Blanc’s romance movies

France, 1940. German troops have just invaded the country, but in the rural idyll of the family chateau inhabited by 20-year-old Mellie with her impoverished aristocrat father Alexandre and adolescent cousin Robinson, the war still seems far away, apart from the fact that Mellie's rich and unpopular fiancé André has been drafted into the army. For Robinson and his friends the same age, including the temperamental Bertrand, the war is merely a game they play in the remoteness of the blue island in the lake.

Eros and Thanatos. One deep breath: this is what Maël might need to cope with his partner Adam's suicide, a tragic event that, apart from great sorrow, has caused him to have a physical breakdown. He is troubled by his doubts about his lover's last drastic act, by how he put an end to his life and to their difficult relationship. But his grief turns into anger when he discovers that Adam had a secret long-term relationship with a woman called Patricia: he digs deep into his own memories, recollecting past events and eventually meeting his rival. On her part, Patricia will have to face unexpected dangers. A claustrophobic melodrama, with an unstructured and evocative narrative style. Here, South African director Antony Hickling, 34, confirms his visionary talent and ability to adopt a fresh point of view on queer cinema. All the performers are strictly gay and transgender, including Manuel Blanc, who was once André Téchiné's muse.