Gay Essential Documentaries To Watch, When Boys Fly
A documentary about gay circuit parties, When Boys Fly follows a variety of young men who are in search of the ultimate high, a non-stop marathon of music, dancing, sex and drugs, as they prepare to attend Florida’s White Party. Through interviews the viewer is introduced to Tone, aged 21 who has serious drug abuse issues, Brandon aged 23, who is new to the gay scene, Todd aged 35, a businessman and circuit regular who is reliving his closeted youth, and Jon aged 19 who is Todd’s soul mate.
The documentary offers a non judgmental but raw view at the damage the men are inflicting onto themselves. Brandon dismisses most people as being shallow but then sees two men proposing marriage on the dance floor. Tone, a walking chemist, calls scene newbie Brandon a “stick-in-the-mud” while Brandon wonders if Tone will still be alive in another six months.
When Boys Fly shows men overdosing on drugs and engaging is risky sexual behaviour, but it also celebrates the camaraderie of the gay circuit scene. Tone takes GHB, despite promising to stay clean, but a friend is there to make sure he took the right dose. In another moment, Brandon gets so caught up in the euphoria that he calls his mother from the dance floor.
Critics
“Tells a complete story that packs quite a punch.”
— CinemaQueer
“The filmmakers maintain an impressively neutral stance, showing a matter-of-fact portrayal of the party scene without introducing their own spin in any particular direction.”
— GayCalgary Magazine
Did You Know?
Continuing from the end of the documentary several months after the party, Brandon met a boyfriend and brought him home to meet his mother. Tone continued to party and use drugs until he suffered a stroke aged 22, he entered a rehab centre and as of the release date of When Boys Fly in 2002 remained clean and sober. Review our Gay Themed Films here
Alexander Ryll
@gayessential
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