Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho (The Way He Looks) has scooped the best feature film prize at the Teddys, the awards for the best LGBT films at the Berlin Film Festival. The Brazilian film focuses on two characters, Giovana and his best friend Leo, who spend their afternoons at the pool together, awarding themselves points for the level of boredom. But Leo is so self-contained that even his schoolmates’ barbs can’t dent his sense of his own independence. Tired of his parents’ over-protective attitude, he takes control of his own life and applies for a school exchange.

The arrival of a new pupil at school prompts Leo to reassess his daily routine. Having made friends with Gabriel, he must now find a way to deal with Giovana’s jealousy. And yet, as naturally as Leo becomes aware of his feelings for Gabriel, the more he allows himself to feel unsettled by his friend’s tentative advances.

The judges commented that Daniel Ribiero’s film was ‘a joyous debut feature from a director who combines great writing, characterisation, performance, camera, and music to deliver a film that soars above the well-explored coming of age genre, giving new meaning to the old adage ‘love is blind’.’

Other awards were:

Special Teddy awards were awarded to Rosa Von Praunheim and Elfi Mikesch. As So So Gay reported earlier this week, the David Kato Vision & Voice Award went to Sou Sotheavy.