Kissing Walls
Kissing Walls (2016-2019)
Written, directed, and produced by: Zak Payne
The struggles of finding love as a gay man are not new to cinema, though the particular challenges of queer men of color are less often represented. Within this smaller representational arena, we see fewer stories told with subtlety and nuance, humor and pathos.
Portraying the everyday in glossy cinematography, Zak Payne’s Kissing Walls is one such story, sharply written and lovingly rendered, showing how the sexual freedom afforded by queerness is both a blessing and a curse. Sex is ever available, so committed love is more elusive to find.
In their search for love, Cameron (Payne) and James (Nathaniel Tenenbaum) have to expand their understanding of love and sexuality. James gets introduced to new kinks – have you ever heard of the Dr. Frankenstein? – as well as new ways of organizing relationships like polyamory.
As Zak told Wussy: “They’re relationships I hadn’t seen on screen much, but something that I have encountered in my own my romantic life. It’s not the same in heterosexual dating, where there’s a boyfriend and girlfriend, period – for the most part. But if you look at queer dating, there are friends with benefits, lovers, partners, etc.,” he said.
“The inspiration for Cameron’s arc wasn’t so much me being like, ‘I’m really into polyamory.’ It came more from this place of, ‘This is just how dating is.’ Dating for us is a bit more fluid, a bit more open. It’s something I haven’t seen portrayed often on screen. If Kissing Walls is a queer romantic comedy, then I want to have it (open relationships) on the show.”
This realism grounds the show and makes the more comedic and romantic moments all the more special and funny. In contrast to Cameron’s story arc, James’ is in some ways more traditional. He goes on hookups, but he also gets more traditional “meet cutes” characteristic of the romantic comedy genre. “It really felt so cute, and so girl-next-door, and I love that we can convey that energy on the show and still keep it me,” Nathaniel said. “I think it was so special and fun. I want little chubby, Jewish, gay, queer, early balding babies like me to really see themselves in those moments. You don’t have to look like Drew Barrymore, or Reece Witherspoon, or Minnie Driver.”
The heart of the show is the friendship between the two leads and the community they are building beyond romantic relationships. The show is as much about queer community as queer relationships, evidence a social practice that connects love of self and others to creating family.
Nathaniel: “I don’t believe in the phrase, ‘Blood is thicker than water.’ Especially in the queer community, for some that doesn’t exist, and our chosen family is all that we have.”