The Tanti Man was made a few years ago but looks much, much older thanks to its 70s/80s setting and being shot on 16mm film. Rather than telling a finite story it’s more of a montage of images and reminiscences of filmmaker Bobby Abate’s youth, from memories of a seaside town to when things got sexy with another young man.
It’s strange and yet oddly hypnotic – oh, and it’s also rather NSFW as the footage includes some rather rude pics, so make sure the boss isn’t watching over your shoulder if you view it.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘A summer memoir of my love affair with Salisbury Beach and a strange and charming drifter. When I lived in Boston, I was obsessed with a beach town on the north shore of Massachusetts complete neon pizza shacks, a run-down amusement park, pin ball machines, and a roller skating rink collapsed into the ocean. Populated by colorful weirdos and misfits, I felt more at home here then I did in Boston — it was a place for those who somehow felt protected amongst the crumbling facades and faded memories. At the time, I felt most comfortable in tenuous spaces and in fleeting encounters with unavailable men. THE TANTI MAN is highlighted by melodramatic, self-destructive journal entries from my teenage years that kept me fumbling though uncertain places and relationships for too long. (Camera: Bobby Abate & Tracey McGuirl and featuring Chad Cooper)’
And if you’re wondering what a Tanti Man is, it’s derived from French Creole/Caribbean term for an effeminate man and/or homosexual.
Take a look at the film below. If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here.
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