BBFF26 Sweet Milk Lake

Soft-spoken trans man Jake is stuck in a rut, living in the shadow of his confident, hyper-masculine twin brother Sam. When Jake learns that his estranged father is dying, he travels to the remote country town of Sweet Milk hoping for one last chance to reconnect. But when his father mistakes Jake for Sam - unaware that Jake has transitioned - Jake lets the mistake stand. For the first time, he experiences the easy acceptance he has long craved: his father’s approval, a place among the local men, and the freedom of moving through the world without his transness defining him. Taking on his brother’s identity becomes unexpectedly intoxicating, and Jake begins to discover a confidence - and a version of masculinity - he has never been allowed to inhabit. A connection with local outsider Toby offers the possibility of something more, but as Jake becomes increasingly entangled in his deception, the life he has borrowed begins to collide with the truth of who he is. Tender, funny and sharply observed, Sweet Milk Lake explores masculinity, family, belonging and the seductive power of being seen as the person others expect you to be. At its heart is a complicated question: how much of yourself can you compromise in order to belong before the lie becomes harder to carry than the truth? This session includes short films