‘Drifter’: BFI Flare Review

Dir: Hannes Hirsch. Germany. 2023. 79mins

We meet Drifter’s 22-year-old protagonist Moritz (Lorenz Hochhuth) during a moment of unflinching intimacy, as he pleasures boyfriend Jonas (Gustav Schmidt) in their Berlin apartment. Yet, as Jonas pulls away from the sexual embrace to give Moritz a more friendly hug, this explicit encounter shifts to one of vulnerability; a delicate tonal balance that underpins the entire narrative. Having played Berlin’s Panorama and closed BFI Flare, Drifter has sold to TLA Releasing for the UK and US and has much to appeal to its target LGBTQ+ demographic; it may also pique the interest of an adventurous arthouse audience.

Hochhuth’s nuanced performance anchors the whole thing in emotional authenticity

Moritz is the drifter of the film’s title, and Eli Bornicke’s unflinching camera drifts along with him in the fallout of the abrupt ending of his relationship. “I’m not really into apartment shares,” says Jonas, who clearly means that he is uncomfortable with the domestic bliss that Moritz is trying to shape for them. Whereas Jonas wants to go clubbing and explore both substances and sex, clarinet player Moritz would rather stay home or go on bike rides. He is chasing a markedly heteronormative lifestyle that seems to offer safety and comfort; something that the rest of Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community — at least that profiled here —  are determinedly railing against.

Initially heartbroken, Moritz finds himself drawn into the lifestyle he had previously shunned and, in the process, tests the boundaries of his own personal limits. He shaves his hair, changes the way he dresses and, as his confidence grows, develops deep friendships and indulges in sexual encounters. The first, with the sensitive, older Noah (Cino Djavid) is a warm rebound that soon turns cold as Moritz comes to realise he, too, is not ready to settle down in any kind of traditional way.

As Moritz explores Berlin’s modern LGBTQ+ culture (a brief radio news clip about Hurricane Ida dates events to August of 2021), director Hannes Hirsch, who co-wrote the screenplay with River Matzke, determinedly roves the lesser-known parts of this city. Aside from a brief glimpse of Alexanderplatz’s famous TV Tower through a window, there are no recognisable landmarks here; the viewer is thrust into unfamiliar territory alongside Moritz. And, refreshingly, there’s no hint of social distancing, as characters get up close and personal from the dancefloor to the bedroom.

It’s this depiction of a freethinking, confident and modern community that is the most appealing element of Drifter, with its no-nonsense approach to fluid ideas of gender and sexuality, and myriad desires and kinks. Throughout, Hochhuth’s nuanced performance anchors the whole thing in the emotional authenticity of a young man learning how to break free of cultural expectations and fully embrace his true self. 

To the beats of a well-chosen, often knowingly ironic dance-led soundtrack (including the likes of Sleep by Strip Down: “Get a good night’s sleep, or there’ll be no peace”), brisk editing from Elena Weihe sees the months go by in a flash of vignettes. While that can sometimes give a feel of detachment, the idea that we’re only seeing fleeting moments in this young life is deliberate and Moritz is such a compelling character that we always feel connected to his story. The recurring motif of people — strangers, friends — constantly wanting to touch his young skin underscores his appeal.

As the colour palette bleeds from the vibrant colours of Moritz’s increasingly daring fashion choices to the sickly purple hue of him, alone and lonely, in his flat, there’s a suggestion that, even though Moritz has found his tribe, he may not yet have fully found his peace. As with all of us, there’s more of his story waiting to be told.