GEL PEN HEARTS

short fiction, colour, 4:3, english

In the early morning hours two strangers meet on the dance floor of a Berlin techno club. Ella and Milo immediately click and the celebratory shared lines in the bathroom to consummate their newborn friendship quickly turn into more. When Ella reminds him to use a condom, Milo refuses, arguing himself out of wearing one. He convinces her at last and despite Ellas initial protests she eventually agrees to what turns out to be quick, drug fuelled sex that goes by uneventfully. As the sexual tension wears off, so does the spark between the two. The pale daylight falls through the milky glass window, drowning out the last bit of intimacy. Realisation slips through the cracks of the dirty stall door and the substances in Ellas blood barely conceal the hollow feeling in her stomach.

Gel Pen Hearts explores consent as a theme. Berlin is famous for wild, excessive party nights: What happens over the weekend in the clubs stays in the clubs. While a lot of venues and events put continuous effort into creating a safe space for everyone at the party and “no means no” is common knowledge for the attendees, I am particularly interested in the situations that tend to slip through the cracks. Moments that are not simply black or white, at least on first glance.