”Passions, too, are fires.”
-Isaac Bashevis Singer, Disguised
Fire Island’s distinct terrain will be a character in Pining. Immersive, on-location cinematography will place viewers in the players’ sandals
Dunes of Desire
Nestled between the Pines and Cherry Grove, the Meat Rack is a web of trails that snake between the gnarled, scruffy trees and shrubs of Fire Island’s sandy dunes.
Established in the 1950s, the trails charge the uncanny terrain with expectation, the possibility of men, love, and lust peeping from between the leaves.
Andrew leads Kit to the Meat Rack, hoping to seduce him, but Kit only ventures there to take a grid post for his Instagram. “This is gay Mecca, history,” Andrew scolds, but Kit seems to only see it on his phone. History, indeed.
Gay Baptism
Crystalline pools sunk into sequestered patios are the cornerstone of community in the Pines.
Antithetical to the inky grunge of deafening nightclubs, these shimmering bodies of water allow men to simper and sear behind sunglasses, sunblock, and little else, as earnestly curated playlists bounce from patio speakers to complement the guffaws and banter.
Like the baths of ancient Rome, men congregate around these pools to philosophize, debate, and occasionally engage in fraternal tussle.
All roads lead to the sea
The beaches of the Pines and Cherry Grove highlight the breadth of the island’s gay community. Here, gays crowd on narrow shorelines, bop to portable stereos, and chill in the lapping waves.
Time is running out.
Gay life on Fire Island is under-documented because of the logistics of hauling film equipment to the Pines.
With our shooting style, we can work fast to showcase the natural, immersive beauty of the island and culture.
Why now?
