When control takes over, innocence is the price.

And not everything is as sweet as it seems.

Rotten cherry

Recently coming to terms with his sexuality, seventeen-year-old George Stratford is ready to meet the man of his dreams. After speaking online with Chris O'Brien on a gay dating app, George finally agrees to meet with him for the very first time.

concept

DIRECTORS STATEMENT

Rotten Cherry is a LGBTQ+ short film that explores the unfortunate frequency of inappropriate age gap relationships amongst gay men, highlighting the power imbalance that encompasses the people involved, with the very foundations of the relationship usually being built from exploitation and fetishisation.

Rotten Cherry came from my own experience growing up gay and battling with my sexuality for years. This caused me to have a detachment from any sexual and romantic relationships. This lack of experience, combined with my age, meant that I was very impressionable and therefore looked for any affection from anyone who wanted to give it to me.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have spoken to numerous queer people, asking them whether they experienced age gap relationships when they were younger. Most responded with an overwhelming agreement. Therefore, I know that Rotten Cherry will relate to those in the LGBTQ+ community.