Filmtip: Tan Lines

Nog beter dan een Zweedse camping: surfend Australië. Midget Hollow (Jack Baxter) wordt stapelverliefd op bad boy Cass Masters (Daniel O’Leary). Maar in zo’n klein strandgehucht bestaan geen geheimen.

Tan Lines ziet er veelbelovend uit, en lijkt op een homoversie van Ken Park. Hopelijk toch net iets minder vreemd.

Tan Lines – The Story
“It is said that you, Midget Hollows, were pulled from the ocean itself. Look after your mother Midget, she caught you and she can throw you back…”

And so begins the story of Midget Hollows- teenager, surfer, partier, pervert…

Midget and his friends live the quintessential surf grommet existence and now the holidays are here, there’s nothing left to do but go surfing, harass the townsfolk and consume as much weed and booze as they can find.

But beneath the surface of this idealistic lifestyle, Midget starts to feel the claustrophobia of small town life; not to mention the constrictions of sleeping in the same bed as his mother, Betty.

When Cass arrives back in town, the older brother of Midget’s best friend, after four years travelling in Europe, Midget is instantly attracted to his confidence, his openness about his homosexuality and his graceful surfing ability.

Midget and Cass embark on a passionate affair, but in a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business, it isn’t long before the relationship feels the strains of secrecy. Midget finds that his sexuality and the culture he inhabits might not be compatible… he tries to take his cues from Cass’ confidence, but when some of Cass’ secrets start to come out… why did he run away four years ago?… Midget starts to wonder if Cass’ confidence isn’t disguising a desperation to be accepted.

Midget has a firm place within his community and his deep bond to Betty make it difficult to contemplate leaving. But can he be himself if he stays? And will Cass’ increasingly erratic behaviour threaten to expose his own secret?

And we haven’t even mentioned the strange goings-on at the McQuillan mansion…

Tan Lines will feature exciting skate and surf action and an authentic representation of the teenage lifestyle and the dizziness of first-felt emotions. The performances are central to this authenticity and many non-actors have been cast in both lead and supporting roles.

A ‘gay surf movie’, a ‘coming-of-age’ story, or a punk’s view of teenaged sexuality, Tan Lines will be a wild ride full of passion, love, laughs, sex, drugs against a backdrop of the ocean in all its different moods…

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