It’s Sunday, we got nothing much to do, we’ve been stuck at home for weeks, we’re bored, and to be honest, we’re kinda horny. So we thought it might be about time to give you something juicy to occupy your mind (and potentially other parts). We haven’t had a lot of kinky blog posts in a while, and you know we’re quite sex-positive here at iHeartBerlin, so we wanna offer you a bit of entertainment here, and possibly on the following Sundays. The “Short Sunday” used to be a category on iHeartBerlin many many years ago where we presented short films and video clips we found extra cute, so now might be a good time to get back to this tradition.
We wanna start something with a little bit more depth, we thought. A friend of ours sent us a relatively new short film about the obsession of a certain type of masculinity. The film is not really related to Berlin, but it’s an interesting watch nonetheless. We did a bit of research and found four more short films (some of which are actually related to Berlin) that all deal with the topic of complex sexuality in different ways and we thought this would make a great little short film program. To our delight, these five films even cover a wide spectrum of sexual orientations, from straight to gay, lesbian and bi. Hurrah! So without further ado, we let you dive right into it:
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by Frank | Videos
The intimate photography project comecloser.berlin is the creation of Berlin-based photographer Julia Liebisch and captures the dynamic of a variety of different couples from Berlin. Her curiosity and devotion towards authentic documentary photography lead her towards the idea of capturing people’s most precious possession – the love towards their significant other. She is devoted to capturing real life and imperfect stories, far away from the staged images, our eyes are already very used to daily on advertisement and social media.
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by Franziska | People, Stories
I’m pretty sure that you know Notes of Berlin or that at least you have encountered some really funny and incredibly true quotes or messages written on the walls of Berlin. One of them that I can’t get out of my mind was this one: “Having to leave Berlin feels like leaving the love of my life.”
When I read this I felt like the city was talking to me. Or that at least somebody somewhere just felt what I was feeling. Because back then my relationship with Berlin was about to become, against my will, a long distance relationship. And that was a really scary moment. To feel like your passionate and beautiful love affair is going to end so abruptly leaves you uneasy. And while you get on the plane you find yourself already making up crazy plans to get back to your recently lost lover.
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by Amanda Artiaga | Stories
photo: Mike Kotsch
You fell in love with Berlin, the vibrant party location that sometimes forgets it’s supposed to be a capital and acts like a huge open air techno festival instead. It felt good, so you thought you’d stay, taking your relationship with Berlin to the next level – calling it your home. But every single commitment drags along its gnarly twin – monotony.
Now that you’ve dropped your anchor here, that morning glimpse of the Fernsehturm on your daily commute may not feel quite as exciting as it used to. Even the most unique sights can grow old, and what draws your attention instead is the smell of piss and trash lying all along the curbside.
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by Michalina | Stories
We all have a story we cannot wait to share, of how we met and fell head over heels with Berlin. Arriving here for the first time, with no mental images or expectations in mind, I found myself observing every little thing in awe: cultures from every corner of the globe coexisting in such an interesting, diverse way, the insane nightlife which often becomes night-and-the-next-day-and-the-next-nightlife, its tolerance of everything that’s different or doesn’t fit in; all freaks find a safe haven here.I liked its chillness and its vibe, and finally was like, I’ve nothing to lose, I’ll date Berlin for a while; and it’s not until I had to leave that I felt magnetized,the thought in my head being: I keep thinking about Berlin. Maybe I should call Berlin again.
It’s not once or twice one hears this story: ‘I visited Berlin and fell in love with it.’ ‘Wow, Berlin! Such a good time I definitely wanna go back there!’ But where is the line actually being drawn between, Berlin was a good one night stand, and Berlin being the One? As in every relationship, an evaluation has to take place. Of course, choosing this partner often means leaving a lot of your previous life behind; and dealing with the unfamiliarity of it can be a pain too: the language, the lifestyle, the pace of the city can all be factors to discourage you. But how can you go on, knowing you’ve found something so special, but you’re too afraid? As Monica did before marrying Chandler, you have to weigh the pros and cons.
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by Stella | Stories
photo: Eylül Aslan
People tend to think that open relationships are easier to have than monogamous ones. Speaking from experience, this is simply not true. If you have trouble with commitment, are lukewarm about your partner or have some other unresolved issue like communicating what you want (or even just knowing what you want), then an open relationship will just make everything worse, for everyone. Sometimes it seems people in Berlin are so unable to nurture even one stable, healthy relationship built on respect, communication, love and support that I really have no patience for the wave of “easy fix” open relationships. It’s an issue friends, even friends of friends, bring up with me. I surround myself with wonderful, intelligent people but when it comes to this, everyone is just a fucking idiot…
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by Alix | Stories
photo: Eylül Aslan
I don’t believe in airing my dirty laundry in public. I know how unconvincing that sounds coming from someone who writes a dating column that heavily features her private life, (shut up! You know you love it) but after having the issue resurface several times over several months, I do have to give the issue of social media hygiene a personal treatment.
Sometimes I wish Facebook had a “your ex is not going to this event” feature. Or better yet, there should be a feature that lets you confirm events and then the designated persona non grata would be unable to confirm, or even see, the event.
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by Alix | Stories
“Many recent articles have attempted to tackle the subject of dating in Berlin, explaining why and how the dating scene here is seen as a difficult one. People are said to ‘fall in love with the city and only with the city’.” This is the summery of the documentary film Berlin Way of Love.
Does this sound familiar to you? To be honest it sounds familiar to me. And to be even more honest it’s probably about me. Through a combination of funny circumstances I was asked to participate in a short documentary about love in Berlin called Berlin Way of Love. Together with Jule Müller from im gegenteil we had a short interview session where we had to share our “expertise” ( hilarious!) about dating in Berlin and why it is so difficult. The cherry on top of this absurd situation was that I had to talk in English which I did with my strongest, most charming German accent. As you might imagine watching the final documentary is not as fun for myself as it might be for you. But still I have to admit that it is a very charming short movie with some funny insights about dating in Berlin.
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by Claudio | Movies
artworks: Karla Marie Bentzen
As if dating in Berlin wasn’t already hard enough, keeping a relationship – especially in a way that both parties are happy – is even more complicated. The struggles you might possibly face will sometimes make the single life seem like the better option. But as with many things in life one universal rule applies here as well: No pain, no gain. Relationships require a constant effort from both sides, otherwise they will go horribly wrong sooner than you expect. And the amount of pain and disappointment that you experience during a failed relationship will make you want to do things you didn’t think you were capable of.
The artist Karla Marie Bentzen has dedicated her new series Crimes of Passion to this topic. She selected some of the most shocking romantic tragedies of the past that have been subject to tabloid sensationalism including the O.J. Simpson case, the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez from TLC who burned a house down because of a conflict with her boyfriend, and the story of adult entertainer Amy Fisher. Karla turned these unbelievable stories into paintings that are tongue-in-cheek comments on modern day topics such as polyamory, violent relationships, and raw unbridled emotion.
As far as these tragic love stories seem away from Berlin, their essence still applies to the hardships of dating here. Observing the quirky paintings reminded me of some of the wild stories that I have heard and witnessed here in Berlin. Obviously the victims of the love tragedies here haven’t responded as violent as in the the artworks. But they sure all thought about and and felt the impulse of violence. I felt a inspired to list some of the most typical cases of failed relationships spiced with a little wishful vengeance… Enjoy the relationships gone wrong – Berlin-style.
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by Frank | Art, Stories
photo: Dan Hirsch
We all know that living together in a 35 square meter studio apartment in Berlin did not bring eternal love and happiness to the young couples of the city. And still I see more and more people moving together in tiny apartmens, losing their privacy in the name of love and money. But what does all this saving money bring you in the end if you will wreck your relationship. Maybe love just can’t be a bargain.
The economy of love and relationships in Berlin is also the topic of the upcoming piece Save Your Love by Israeli director Ariel Nil Levy and performers Hila Golan, Niva Dloomy at Theaterdiscounter. A basic berlin relationship will unfold in front of your eyes with all the problems love can have of living in a big city in a small apartment. The piece is suited for an English-speaking audience. Furthermore during all of December there will be performances around the topic of love at this little theater which now is fighting for its existence, since the state will not support it in the future. Let’s hope for the best and let’s get some love there this month. The dates and the address after the jump.
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by Claudio | Theater
