a short film by Bavo Defurne 2000 | 21 mins | Belgium ›› Campfire - Kampvuur coming out around the campfire. Wonderfully capturing the spirit of camping in all of its scouting glory, here noted director Bavo Defurne delivers an artful work that proudly says it, like it is. For gay boy Tijl is in love with his best friend Wout, a teenage crush that both his girlfriend Ineke and Wout for that matter, become increasingly aware of during their time spent at scouting summer camp. Only that doesn't stop a sexually curious Wout from getting up close and personal with Tijl in the middle of a starry night. Yet when a game of "truth or dare" beckons the two young men to publicly kiss each other in the morning after the night before, just who is confident enough to come out around the campfire? With charming turns from its three principal players, it's easy to see why this tale of burgeoning sexuality went on to became a film festival favourite. For here Defurne has lovingly paid attention to cinematic detail, bathing his work in rich colours throughout, whilst vividly capturing the wonders of Mother Nature, leaving meaningful looks, rather than the laconic narrative of the piece to tell the story of accepting your sexual self, in the face of unrequited love. Complete with Defurne's now trademark themes of the heavens and the earth below, let alone pretty boys that dreams are but made of, the result is a beautifully played coming out story, one in which a scouting uniform is cast aside to proudly reveal the homosexual heart that lay beneath. Simply lush. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - the full monty.  Overall - file under ... 4 stars.  available on DVD as part of the British Film Institute catalogue 27.May.2002 / UK. screened as part of the 14th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2000. starring: Joram Schurmans / Tijl, Koen Van Heule / Wout, Circé Lethem / Ineke and with Maarten Verbeuren as Carl. official website: www.bavo.org Copyright 2012 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #495 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹