In the swinging sixties of London, when homosexuality was still criminalized, Gerald, a thirty-year-old man, feels the electric charge of desire the moment... > Lire la suite
In the swinging sixties of London, when homosexuality was still criminalized, Gerald, a thirty-year-old man, feels the electric charge of desire the moment his fingers brush against those of the handsome, younger Alen in a quiet library. Though the stern librarian's beady eyes watch their every move, the spark between them cannot be extinguished so easily. Alen craftily slips a note amidst the pages of a book, inviting Gerald to meet him later in secrecy. Despite the thrilling fear of discovery, both men cannot resist the longing that stirs within them. They arrange a rendezvous near the boat house, concealed by the whispered secrets of willow trees. Urgently, they undress one another, hands feverishly exploring as if trying to commit every curve and angle to memory before it's too late. Their passionate lovemaking by the water's edge is underscored by the ever-present risk of a policeman happening upon their forbidden tryst. In the following days, Gerald and Alen meet at innocuous locations like a cafe on Portobello Road, pretending to be mere mates while the bustle of London life swirls around them. The music spilling from record shops and the mingling crowds provide cover as they drink coffee and exchange longing glances weighted with the memory of the night's passion. When they can, they retreat to the privacy of a flat to indulge in the intimacies society's rules have denied them. Mornings are especially bittersweet as they wake entwined in the afterglow, temporarily freed from restraint. One daring midnight, they even make love on the balcony under the cloak of darkness when no prying eyes can spot them. These stolen moments are savored like precious gemstones, for both know their days together are dwindling. At last, the time comes to part ways before suspicion arises. Though their hearts ache, an understanding passes between them in those final passionate hours. The depth of their connection in that repressive era was powerful enough to indelibly mark their souls forever, even if society refused to sanction it. As they embrace one last time, the love they can never publicly declare hangs unspoken but undeniable in the air. No matter what the future may bring, the memory of this love will burn eternal.