Stille Dorst

"Tarik" (Mouad Ben-Chaib) is seeking some peace and quiet from the effects of his looming divorce, so he rents a small woodland cottage. Soon after arriving he discovers that the plumbing isn't quite what it might be, so he asks the owner - the twenty-five year old "Jonas" (Joshua Albano) to come mend it. All that young man gets for his trouble is a wetting, and he has to borrow a T-shirt from his guest and promise to return tomorrow - and it is at this point that we start to realise that the elder man is experiencing hitherto unknown feelings for "Jonas". What will, or - indeed - can, come of this? It's a fine looking short film this, with only a sparing amount of dialogue. We are left to observe how the two men come to terms with each other without any judgements or conclusions... Is it the start of something, the end of something - is there even a something at all? Worth a watch.

It is a short film deserving be loved. For minimalistic storytelling, for grace, admirable grace of gestures and looks and dialogues, for the fair portrait of the clash of fundamental different cultures, for the sketch of the need 0of self acceptance, for the clashes of ages , for the music. Not the last, for the acting. The faces traits are , maybe, one of significant keys of this meeting of two lonely men, their simple gestures, their past , the growing up confidence and atraction. Poetic and rich in nuances.

This film had it all. Nuance, good acting, hunky leads, passing glances. Dutch-Moroccan Tarik hires Jonas's house in the country to recover from his divorce and to think about the future. It becomes clear in what direction his thoughts of the next steps are going in from his glances at Jonas and caresses of his left-behind t shirt.

Jonas reads the runes and gently pulls Tarik out of his carapace during an evening together with beer. These scenes are really well done, full of hesitancy and consideration. And, thank goodness, we don't actually get the act of hanky-panky thrust in our faces. Everything is allusive and suggested.

Tarik regrets his wasted thirty two years but has set off on a new path. We don't know where it will lead but it's the right direction for him.

Both leads were top notch. The settings were perfect. I lived in the countryside once, albeit not in Holland, and can attest to having closed my eyes often in the wild just to hear the peace. This was so true to life and a nice touch.

A definite recommend.