Le Beau Mec

Wanted by all but truly known by none, hustler and actor Karl Forest was France’s first gay porn superstar – but who was he really? American filmmaker Wallace Potts sought to answer that question with this stunning 1979 docu-fantasy portrait. Mixing candid interviews with Forest and rare footage of his live show (choreographed by none other than Rudolf Nureyev) and highly stylized recreations of his past exploits courtesy of acclaimed cinematographers Francois About (Equation to an Unknown) and Academy Award winner Nestor Almendros (Days of Heaven), Le Beau Mec is a hauntingly beautiful portrait of gay self-creation. Long available only through murky VHS transfers, this beloved classic of gay erotica has been newly restored in 4K from its original 16mm film elements.

Studio: Altered Innocence
Actors: Carmelo Petix, Cedric Dumont, Frank Chazal, Karl Forest, Philippe Renaud
Director: Wallace Potts