On its surface, Dogwatch might not sound like the type of film we’d typically cover on Queerty.
The Greek documentary follows the lives of three mercenaries hired to protect shipping vessels as they travel near the Somali coastline, a dangerous area where pirate attacks frequently occurred. Or, at least, they used to.
But, like aggressively carnal Beau Travail or even Jarhead (a movie as obsessed with Jake Gyllenhaal’s body as we are) before it, Dogwatch is a film that leans into the unspoken yet present sensuality and intimacy that often arises in these hyper-masculine spaces.
Men in close quarters. Isolation. Vulnerability. Long, lingering shots of the male form—at peak physical fitness, no less. Dogwatch has all the makings of homoerotic cinema.
Image Credit: ‘Dogwatch,’ True Story
From filmmaker Gregoris Rentis, the documentary takes its name from the maritime term, wherein someone is tasked to keep watch and guard a ship for a specific amount of time (the film’s Greek title, “Vardia,” translates to “shift).
In this case, the shift is taken on by three Greek men at different points in their lives and careers. Each with some form of military background, they’ve signed on as private contract security guards for ships passing through “High Risk Areas” at sea.
In the early 2000s, these areas were overrun with pirate attacks—especially off the coast of Somalia—but, in more recent years, that threat has decreased significantly. More often than not, the only thing these small paramilitary forces are fighting? Boredom.
‘The Inspection,’ ‘Tom of Finland,’ and more movies to watch that spotlight queer people serving in the military.
Dogwatch follows the intersecting stories of these three men. There’s the young and hunky Yorgos, who when he’s not undergoing intense, bootcamp-like training for the job, likes to hit up the local night clubs. The more experienced Costa is in the prime of his career, but beginning to daydream about returning to a “normal” life. And Victor trains new recruits while actively plotting a career transition into something more stable.
Despite the alpha-male trappings of this sea-faring lifestyle, Rentis’ film focuses on the quieter, more pensive moments as the stare out at the vast expanse of the ocean, waiting for the moment they’ll get to put all their training to use.
And his camera often lingers on their bodies—from the fresh-faced (and fit) Yorgos to the more sea-worn Victor—as they shower and go about their daily routine, get physical in their daily training, and more.
Dogwatch made its U.S. premiere last year at the True/False Film Festival and, as of this month, can now be watched via nonfiction streaming platform True Story. Check out the film’s trailer below:
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