Directed by Coby Friesen

Logline: Lose your faith, lose your life.

Synopsis: Chris and Alex reunite at Gomorrah Creek—idyllic, remote, and reportedly haunted. After a handful of escalating interactions lead to a tense moment between the longtime friends, a mysterious Sculpted Man appears to Alex and lures him into the woods. Searching for his friend, Chris discovers Alex and the Sculpted Man in the middle of an intensely intimate moment, and what began as an innocent camping trip between old friends at a crossroads quickly unravels into a homoerotic fever dream, finding its climax in the throes of a body horror nightmare.

Distribution Contact: WFG

More Details

RUNTIME: 16 Minutes
GENRE: Narrative/ Fiction, Drama, Horror
PRODUCTION FORMAT: HD
LANGUAGE: English
LOCATION: Manitoba
KEYWORDS: Abuse, Body, Drama, Horror, LGBTQ2SA+, Religion, Self, Sexuality, Religion, Spirituality, Thriller

Director's Statement: While I came out as bisexual over ten years ago, I remember too well what it's like to be in the closet. Shame, anxiety, and dread stalked me, like the grotesque demon that hunts Chris from the depths of the creek—except my demons came from religion and the toxic hetero-society surrounding me at the time. It felt like being trapped inside a horror film, haunted by all-powerful entities imposing themselves upon me day and night. So when Chris stumbles upon Alex in a positive intimate experience with a handsome stranger, he feels like God has caught him in an evil act whereas in reality, he’s launched himself on a collision course with the creek demon—slimy, oozing, and hungry for blood.

By making this film, I wanted to honour the darkness and light of queer awakenings. A joy of my journey has been learning my queer lineage and participating in it. Historically, cruising was one of the few ways men could safely be intimate with each other and still is, depending on who you are and where you live. Author Marcus McCann explains “cruising is a radical form of consent”. Using eye contact and touch, body language is our biggest indicator whether we want it or not. For Alex, cruising is sacred. An intimate experience. But for Chris, it’s the catalyst for his downfall.

Films like Friedkin’s Cruising, Guiraudie’s Stranger by the Lake, and Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre were pivotal in unlocking the world of cruising and finding the specific erotic-horror tone I sought. Additionally, films like Zulawski’s Possession and Barker’s Hellraiser were major touchstones with regards to Gomorrah’s body horror climax.