A gay man travels across the country to spend the weekend with someone he’s been talking to for months on a dating app. Hoping to find the kind of romance that he grew up thinking he’d never get to experience.
We are living in changing times, but things are still far from being perfect. The film industry is at the forefront of general perception, needing to be much better at setting the example. Luckily, there are independent filmmakers that are way ahead of the curve in terms of equal representation. Tyler Rabinowitz is a writer-director-producer with a dream of transforming LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Something he’s been doing over the past five years with films like Lavender, The Mess He Made, How I Got to Go To The Moon by Subway and do much more.
His latest film ‘See You Soon’ breaks a new barrier of intimacy, particularly when it comes to gay films. The story Tyler created is one that can be familiar to all. Especially in this day and age where falling in love online is as popular as ever. Most people have had that perfect weekend with someone that they knew would ultimately come to an end. This is where Tyler subtly shines in creating a story about humans falling in love, not a story about homosexuals.
See You Soon is inspired by my personal experience while getting to know someone that I matched with on a dating app. And the palpable connection we formed despite the distance, time, and reality separating us. When we were finally able to have a weekend together in person, I found myself able to let my guard down in a way I never had before. I came of age later in life. I was nearing my mid-20s, and it was the first time that I’d ever been able to truly lose my self in the wonder of intimacy. But as the weekend came to an end, I had to grapple with the double-edged swords of attachment, vulnerability, and a long distance relationship. It was a pivotal moment in my coming of age. As I discovered not only my capacity to love, but my capacity to be loved.
I want to tell a story that captures the innately unique tension we encounter after doing that work
With SEE YOU SOON, I’ve sought to put a relationship on screen that isn’t impeded by the typical setbacks that we’ve seen frequently addressed in LGBTQ+ cinema. The tension doesn’t hinge upon a gay character’s tense relationship with unaccepting family members, or their rejection of their own queerness. They’re not in a taboo romance with someone way older. And they’re not afraid that their sexual identity will damage their popularity in any way. While these aspects of the queer experience are valid and important to be seen, understood, and discussed, I want to tell a story that captures the innately unique tension we encounter after doing that work, when we finally find the romantic connection we’ve been dreaming of.
The tension lies in the bed with Vincent and Anthony. It’s in the Sundaysunset before they have to say goodbye. And it’s in the 2,800 miles that separate the places they call home. SEE YOU SOON explores a budding queer romance through a naturalistic lens that makes us feel like we’re in the room, right there with them. My hope is that audiences will come away from the film feeling like they’ve known Vincent and Anthony forever. The same way they felt when they first started talking online
