Icarus

In this poignant Taiwanese short film, Kai and Jay are a young gay couple living a secret but tender romance. As graduation approaches, their hidden relationship faces its greatest test: Kai feels called to follow his father’s path and enter a Catholic seminary, while Jay chases a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train abroad as a soccer player. Neither has told the other of their plans, and when the truth comes out through a mutual friend, the dream they built together begins to crack. Set against the backdrop of a conservative church community and filmed just years before Taiwan’s historic marriage equality ruling, 'Icarus' uses the myth of the boy who flew too close to the sun as a haunting metaphor for love, ambition, and the painful choices we make when two futures cannot coexist. With quiet performances and a deliberate, moody atmosphere, this 2017 gem captures the raw ache of young love colliding with faith, family, and self-discovery—and asks whether some bonds are strong enough to survive the fall.