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Words Owen Myers Reviews Damon Smith

FILM

In Their Room
Travis Mathews intimate portrayals of gay men have been lmed in San Francisco and Berlin. Now hes ready to turn his camera on Londoners
You can call me a porn director if you want, says Travis Mathews, creator of the X-rated bedroom documentary series In Their Room. Theres always going to somebody who thinks its porn if you show explicit sex or nudity, but I believe Im making art lms that are focused on gay men and intimacy and connection. In Their Room gives a y-on-the-wall glimpse of real-life gay guys, from bookish students to hairy daddies, who are lmed pottering around their bedrooms, having sex, listening to records and talking about relationships in touchingly raw monologues. The series San Francisco and Berlin instalments play out like uncensored gay kitchen-sink dramas with a no-holdsbarred honesty about gay sex. Although Mathews admits that all the featured guys are easy on the eye, making wank-bank-ready footage was never his aim. I started In Their Room out of a frustration at not seeing lms that reected mine and my friends lives, he explains from his San Francisco apartment. I was hungry to create a project that showed real gay men in a three-dimensional way, where they could be awed, beautiful, sexy and vulnerable. The lms prole a scru er kind of homo than were used to seeing, no doubt partly due to Mathews initial casting call on the website of ex-cult fag rag BUTT. BUTT had such cultural cachet in 2009 that there were any number of guys willing to be part of my project, smiles Mathews. Wasnt anyone shy about getting their cock out on camera? I think most of the guys had exhibitionist tendencies! he laughs. And anybodys bedroom is probably the place where they feel safest, so that helped to make things quickly comfortable and intimate. Mathews is now setting his sights on gay bedrooms over here, and is travelling to London this summer. Ive always had a soft spot for London, he says. But what about the British sti , er, upper lip? If the guys are reserved, thats just as interesting to me, he says. Its not like I have a quota of somebody has to come. Instead, Mathews allows the guys to get lost in what theyre doing, whether its strutting in six-inch heels or having a good old-fashioned wank. Everybodys bedroom is their place away from the rest of the world, says Nathan in the San Francisco episode. Theres nothing like indulging in your favourite things in your safe space. So, has Mathews ever jerked o to his own movies? No! he protests. Look at you! he laughs. Youre like, I dont believe you! In Their Room: San Francisco and Berlin are out on VOD now. travisdmathews.com

Some more skin flicks

the ritz 1976 When gangsters come after Dirty Dancings Jack Weston, he nds refuge with a gay saunas chubby-chaser in this comedy farce. Dont miss scene-stealing, delusional cabaret queen Googie Gomez. taxi zum klo 1980 A primary school teacher with a penchant for piss play cruises Berlins public toilets by night, much to the dismay of his boyfriend in director/star Frank Ripplohs sexy and poignant autobiographical lm. hustler white 1996 Bruce LaBruces benchmark of New Queer Cinema tackles amputee sex, masochism and oversized orgies in its bizarre, noir-ish tale of an LA rent boy played by Tony Ward Madonnas Italian who Did It Better.

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