Desire Will Set You Free

By: Amos Lassen

"Desire Will Set You Free"
Life in Contemporary Berlin
Amos Lassen
"Desire Will Set You Free" explores artistry, music, social identity, and culture, honing in on a generation of refugees, outcasts, and the stories that bind them together. It looks at life in contemporary Berlin with an often critical and sometimes humorous eye. Based on a true story, the plot follows the relationship of an American writer of Israeli/Palestinian descent and a Russian aspiring artist working as a hustler, the film takes us into Berlin's vibrant queer and underground scenes while examining the differences between expatriate and refugee life.

Our characters travel through Berlin's layered history and fascinating sub-cultural landscape. As our characters move forward, they learn of influences and remnants of the Weimar Republic, WWII, the Bowie years, and punk. The film was shot in Berlin with people who are Berliners. We have appearances by Nina Hagen, electro star Peaches, Brooklyn's Orange, German sensation Rummelsnuff, rapper Sookee, Einstürzende Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld and Wolfgang Müller.

Ezra is an American writer of Palestinian and Israeli parents and he is now living in Berlin where he spends his days clubbing, taking , having pseudo-philosophical conversations and wanting to be more punk but what he really wants is to write more. He spends most of his time with his privileged dark, but witty friend Catharine, who has a fetish for Nazi paraphernalia. As the two of them look for their next excitement fix, they end up in one of Berlin's famous gay hustler bars.

Almost on a dare Ezra meets Sasha, a Russian immigrant working as an escort. Ezra takes Sasha on a journey through Berlin's underground and queer scenes where he discovers hedonism and exploration as well as the remnants of German history party kids. The line between reality and desire is blurred with all of excess. What began as a seemingly conventional gay relationship reveals itself as more complex and dynamic as their true inner desires are revealed.

Berlin has been a hyped city so it is surprising that there have not been more movies about it. Here we see all of the typical ingredients that make a city a destination- there is nightlife, romance, sex, and rebellious behavior and mixing this with a gay lifestyle we really see hedonism.

Yony Leyser who directed the film says that it is a look at contemporary Berlin and the sex, and parties that are part of it. The film looks carefully at the artistic and the marginalized life critically and with humor. It explores gender identity, sexuality, and the differences between expatriate and refugee life.