Take It Slow

TYPE: Narrative Short
GENRE: Drama
STATUS: Development

LOGLINE

An inexperienced bisexual man goes on a date with a younger gay man, and finds out that his preconceived notions on gay dating culture don’t stand up to reality.

SYNOPSIS

At a coffee shop in Brooklyn, Chris, a bisexual thirty-something, nervously waits for Derrick, a gay twenty-something, who is already late to their date. Chris, who has not dated many guys yet, worries that he will be overmatched by the young and glamorous Derrick. 

When Derrick finally arrives, he senses Chris’ unease, and suggests that they take their beverages to-go. Relieved, Chris agrees, and they leave to take a stroll in the park.

When they reach the park and fall into conversation, Chris begins to see that Derrick is not at all what he expected, and that they align in more ways than he could have imagined. 

As they move through the park, the pair start to connect on many different levels. They find that not only do they have a shared sense of humor, but that their goals in dating are quite similar. Chris realizes that he may have misjudged Derrick, who is also interested in moving slowly and cultivating intimacy and authentic connection. And he is surprised to learn that Derrick is also coming into the conversation with his own hang-ups, fears, and emotional baggage.

By the end of the date, as they leave the park and prepare to part ways, Chris realizes that with Derrick, what he thought would be outside his comfort zone, suddenly feels like home.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

Based on a real-life experience, “Take It Slow” is an intimate love letter to the queer/AAPI community, which will give voice to a segment of the queer community that is not often seen or heard from: the “late bloomers” - those of us who are out and proud, and have been so for many years, but who struggle to get out there and date, and who fear they won’t be able to keep up with the velocity of modern-day dating culture in the big city. Surprisingly, there are many more of us out there than one might imagine.

Simultaneously, the film will address various stereotypes on gay dating culture, which have historically sought to label queer men as inherently promiscuous, wild, and sexually deviant. But for those of us in the community, we know that our dating habits and wants/needs/desires in romance are as diverse and varied as the community itself. Thus, “Take It Slow” will grant visibility to queer men who are choosing healthy relationships for themselves in spite of society’s expectations for them, and despite what others in their community might demand of them.

Furthermore, the film will feature two Asian leads. Romance between Asian characters is seldom seen in American cinema, as too often the “Asian love interest” is treated as little more than an accessory to another. Therefore, we're interested in depicting an Asian couple whose presence on screen will not be tokenized, and who will be seen in all their unique, effervescent humanity.

KEY CREW

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