Nightlife trailer (50 sec) | Harune Massey

Two kids on a sidewalk, the opening scene of short film NightLife, sets in motion a highly nuanced glimpse into the life of male sex workers of Lahore, Pakistan, who often ply their trade as teenage masseurs clinking their oil bottles on the discreet but known-to-the –customer street corners waiting to be picked up by passing motorists. As the initial attention seeking bullying of the elder turns to gentle teasing to hand feeding of orange slices, the film peels the layers of relationship between the two characters: partners, lovers, co-protectors. A fellow worker approaches and tricks them into losing a potential customer. Instead of simply letting the kids fade into day break, the last scene depicts the repetitive cycle of their vulnerable existence when a pair of young women approaches them for reasons not quite lustful but no less exploitative. The film is not only a subtle examination of a grave circumstance in the lives of such children, but also works as a self critique, questioning boundaries of exploitation and artistic work. (Naveed Alam)