Bedtime Stories: Only Friends

A fictional story is never as good as a real one: the waking up, the commute, a corny choice to name a boat on which to travel. The little things that make us who we are. After chatting for 18 months, Isaak and Sabah dive into a compelling conversation about life, dreams and fears, on a non-fictional short film that shows how intimacy can happen for two strangers – who are not really strangers, after all.

When the night comes and there's only dark, we can hear the heart speaking louder than words. Alone in his bed and immersed in the absence of his lover, a man speaks to no one, begging for another night together. He surrenders to a nocturnal delirium which will fill his room and his head, and which he is willing to live it fully — at least until the morning rises.

Paul doesn’t know if he’ll attend the book fair tonight, even though they are waiting to celebrate his book. From his hotel room he spells notes to the recorder and sets the stage for another type of party. A fantasy of many, the story of no one… when it comes to imaginary tales, who are we to judge?.

Daniel wants people to wake up. Clement wants to sleep alone under the stars. The world is a battlefield where logic and fear fight viciously for control. Weary of it, two men build their own hallucinogenic cosmos where they can play and exist – where only their bodies make the rules, and the mind is set free by pleasure.

Leo is a young actor who is about to make it—standing in front of an esoteric palm-reading auteur he is given one last shot to land the lead role in his new film. Taken by the hand of the seasoned professional, Leo experiences the depths of his ambitions and unfulfilled potential and the wonderous hights of artistic euphoria.

Chris (Rion) meets Benjamin (Bright) online, and the two discuss the latter’s interest in erotic asphyxiation. Intrigued, Chris invites the attractive stranger to his house to explore the practice, resulting in a ferocious encounter that will leave both men gasping for more.

During a small, informal gathering between a couple and an old friend, a seemingly innocent set of tarot cards becomes the focus of the party. Gustavo draws the first card only to reveal an uncomfortable truth about his boyfriend, Milo, and the old friend, Alvin. “The cards lie”, interrupts Alvin. But, do they? This tarot game is no game at all. It unveils past events and awakens old feelings. But it can’t predict what’s about to happen when Gustavo chooses to take action and write his own leading part in this story. Will The Lovers card trump The Fool?

For Nacañadí, erotic massage is a calling. Swayed by the power of his touch, strangers’ bodies and minds unwind alike. When Xuxo comes in for a session, Nacañadí’s hands masterfully knead the flesh beneath them as his soothing voice tells the story of his work. A simple massage turns into an intimate threeway encounter between the masseur, the client and their audience. In a world where intimacy is hard to come by, tender touch can give rise to the ultimate erotic experience.

A young man recalls the verses of a poem from his Barcelona apartment while he idly awaits for someone to come over. Once his date arrives, they get right to cuddling on the couch and discussing their sexual preferences. This is their first encounter. Lucky for them, they seem to be on the same page. After this passionate rendezvous, the young man finds that his date has left something for him on the table. Could it change completely the experience he’s just had?

Felix and Tomas are hanging out in the bathroom. Their friend is out of it, and they're trying to cool him down in the bathtub. They're supposed to keep an eye on him, but the attraction between them is so strong, they can barely keep their eyes off of each other. They can't even hear the guy banging on the door.

With the party on its last legs, a group of friends linger in the living room. A grating tune on the piano interrupts the foreplay between Caleb, Tomas and Marc, but soon, the notes somehow start falling into place as a soothing Schubert melody. The three friends stare quietly, or maybe defiantly, at the source of the music. When the piano stops, the real action begins on the couch. This poetic tale of hedonism in tumultuous times is the second chapter of Raid, a four-part series featuring interwoven stories in a reality that's equally dreamy and radically mundane.