 
›› Inflatable Swamp
a short film by William Feroldi.
2010 | 13 mins | UK.
starring: Francis Beraud, Paul Huntley and Edwin Ray.
dedicated: To Steve, for always being there for me.
Official Synopsis: "Matt, a gay man in his late twenties, navigates the lonely intersection of carnal sex and human closeness. With the arrival of Luke, a new man in his life, he finds a way to reconcile pleasures of the flesh with the new aroused imperatives of the heart."
Dave says:-
Screened at the prestigious IRIS Prize Film Festival in 2010, this sexually frank work from writer and director William Feroldi is certain to divide opinion. I originally reviewed it back then and now included as part of the Peccadillo Pictures' somewhat introspective Boys On Film X shorts compilation, it seems only right to present an updated review.
The naked desire for human contact, in Inflatable Swamp.
For here we find Feroldi shining the spotlight on sexual intimacy courtesy of Matt; a gay man with a unique way of remembering, if not cataloguing the succession of men in his life and here cue a clue in the title. Thankfully in an almost wordless piece, Feroldi takes time out to promote the safe sex message, along the way adding a neat closing touch, one that gives rise to the question of whether there could be more to Matt's latest liaison, than just sex.
That said and for those with a-liking for male frontal nudity in their films - did anyone say no?, then it has to be said that this work ranks as one of the most copious monty works I've seen to date; certainly for the short film genre. And whilst it lacks the homoerotic intensity of the films of the like of Julián Hernández, amongst others, the beauty of this piece lies in its sense of reality, given here Feroldi sets out to speak, albeit in a laconic fashion, of the naked desire for human contact and whilst the emphasis is on the word naked, the narrative nevertheless sets out to showcase a man who by way of fate, is forced to see the life of the man in front of him; rather than just the body of his latest one-night stand. An emotional wake-up call, indeed.
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Gay Visibility - overt.
Nudity - the copious monty.
Overall - file under ... 3+ stars.
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